m'' 


>\  ']!^f^.^.  ' 


BX  6333  .S6  S4  v. 19 
Spurgeon,  C.  H.  1834-1892 
Sermons  of  the  Rev.  C.H. 
Spurgeon  of  London 


SERMONS 


PUKACHKI)    IN    1888 


OF  PR/f/^ 


^K'^^^^<^  1938 


OCIGAL 


C.    H.    SPURGEON 


OF     LONDON 


Volj4int'  XIX, 


NEW     YORK 

FUNK  &  WAGNALLS    COMPANY 
London  and  Tohonto 


CONTENTS, 


PAGE 


Spurgeon  and  Reachixg  the  People     ....  7 

I.     The  Lord  axd  the  Leper rlS'' 

II.     HoLDixG  Fast  the  Faith 35 

III.  Abram's   Call;    or,    Hale- way    axd    all 

THE   WAT 57 

IV.  NatHAXAELJ    or,  the   READY   BeLIEYER   AXD 

HIS   REWARD 79 

V.     Cured  at  Last 2qI 

VI.     ''  She  was  xot  Hid  " 123 

VII.     "Dayid's  Spoil"        I45 

VIII.     '^The    Weddixg    was    Furxished     with 

Guests" 1(57 

IX.     What  is  the  Weddixg  Garmext?     .     .     .  190 
X.     ^'Let  Him  Deliyer  him  Now"  .     .     .     .     .  211 

XI.     The  Charge  oe  the  Axgel 233 

XII.     Plaix  Directioxs   to   those   who    would 

BE  Sayed  from  Six 256 

XIII.  Peter's  Eestoratiox 278 

XIV.  The  Blood  of  the  Lamb,  the  Coxquerixg 

Weapox 300 

XV.     All  at  It 322 

XVI.     Xo  Compromise 345 

XVII.     A  Paradox 308 

Ix'dices  to  the  Nineteex  Volumes,    .     .  391 


SPURGEON,   AND   REACHING 
THE  PEOPLE. 


BY  ARTHUR  T.  PIERSON,  D.  D. 


IM  tliese  days,  God,  by  His  providence,  is  teaching  His  churcli 
how  to  reach  the  masses  of  the  people.  The  colossal  enterprise 
now  headed  by  Chas.  H.  Spurgeon,  in  London,  is  an  example  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  in  this  direction  by  one  man.  About 
thirty-five  years  ago  this  young  man,  then  twenty  years  old,  began 
to  preach,  to  a  handful  of  people,  in  an  ordinary  modern  church 
building  in  that  great  city.  His  simple,  earnest  x^reachiug  caused 
the  congregation  to  grow  till  the  house  was  full.  One  evening,  in 
1854,  he  made  a  plea  for  enlargement,  and  remarked:  ''By  faith, 
the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,  aud  by  faith,  this  wall  at  the  back 
shall  come  down,  too."  An  aged  and  prudent  church  officer,  in  a 
somewhat  dictatorial  tone,  said  to  him  at  the  close  of  the  sermon  : 
-'  Let  us  never  hear  of  that  again."  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said 
the  preacher  ;  '*you  will  hear  no  more  about  it  ivhen  it  is  done,  and 
therefore  the  sooner  you  set  about  it  the  better."  It  was  not  long 
before  the  work  of  enlargement  began,  and  meanwhile  worship 
was  carried  oij  at  Exeter  Hall,  which  was,  of  course,  a  very  much 
larger  place.  But  during  the  three  months  of  the  use  of  that  place 
far  preaching  services  the  crowds  continued,  often  actually  block- 
ing up  the  street.  To  return  to  the  enlarged  church  on  Park  Street 
was  absurd,  and  yet  there  were  those  who  thought  it  too  bad  a  waste 
of  money  and  material  to  let  such  a  church  buildmgstand  unoccupied, 
m  order  that  three  times  as  many  might  hear  a  free  gospel  in  a  hall;  and 
so  Exeter  Hall  was  abandoned,  and  back  they  went  to  the  remodel- 
ed edifice.  It  was  filled,  but  it  was  so  evident  to  all  that  God  had 
attended  services  in  the  hall  with  a  far  greater  measure  of  good,  that 
iu  June,  1856,  they  determined  to  use  the  hall  for  half  a  day,  and  so 

(7) 


8  SPURGEON.   AND  REACHING    THE  PEOPLE. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  in  the  morning  at  the  church,  and  in  the 
evening  at  the  liall. 

All  went  well,  under  the  new  arrangement,  hut  no  one  could  fail 
to  see  that  the  evening  service  was  working  a  far  grander  result, 
in  numhers  and  in  the  class  of  non-church-goers  reached  ;  and  so, 
after  a  two  months'  trial  of  this  method,  a  movement  began,  looking 
to  the  bmldmg  of  a  large  tabernacle,  fitted  to  hold  the  masses,  and 
with  abundant  room,  first,  for  habitual  attendants  to  find  a  church- 
home  and,  secondly,  for  the  common  people  at  large  to  find  free  wel- 
come. Of  course,  there  were  those  who  opposed  this  project ;  the  idea 
of  giving  up  a  fine  commodious  church,  recently  enlarged  and  refitted, 
and  undertaking  to  put  up  a  building  to  hold  five  thousand  people, 
was  scouted  as  absurd.  But  the  mass  of  the  church  felt  that  it  was 
far  more  important  to  reach  the  people  than  to  hold  fast  to  the  old  or- 
der ;  and  so  that  building  was  abandoned.  Unable  to  get  control 
longer  of  Exeter  Hall,  on  October  19,  1856,  this  heroic  pastor  and  his 
peoj)le  undertook  a  rofiwre  o//rti//i.  They  hired  the  large  Music 
Hall  in  Surrey  Gardens,  just  built  for  M.  Jnllien's  monster  concerts, 
and  held  there  the  first  Sabbath  evening  service.  About  7,000  per- 
sons were  assembled.  Some  evil-disposed  persons  created  a  panic, 
and  in  the  rush  seven  persons  were  crushed  to  death,  and  four  times 
as  many  were  seriously  injured.  Mr.  Spurgeon's  nervous  system 
was  so  terribly  shocked  that  he  was  perfectly  prostrated,  but  two 
weeks  after  was  again  able  to  preach.  To  avoid  fear  of  further 
panic,  the  service  at  Music  Hall  was  transferred  to  the  morning, 
though  the  evening  was  regarded  more  favorable  to  large  congrega- 
tions. Yet  for  three  years  that  immense  hall  was  crowded  by  all 
classes.  Thousands  hitherto  unaccustomed  to  attend  church  found 
their  way  to  this  free  i)lace  of  worship,  and  hundreds  found  a  Sa- 
viour. Often  ten  thousand  souls  were  gathered  there  to  hear  that 
simple  gospel  preacher.  And  it  was  no  worldly  bait  that  drew 
them.  Even  the  singing  was  congregational,  and  led  by  a  ])recen 
tor — Mr.  Spurgeon  "  lining  out  "  every  hymn  in  old-time  style. 

In  May,  1861,  regular  work  was  begun  on  the  New  Tabernacle, 
which  was  dedicated  without  debt,  though  it  cost  over  $150,000  in 
gold.  It  can  hold,  without  excessive  crowding,  6,000  persons,  and  is 
always  at  least  comfortably  filled.  During  five  Sabbaths  in  May,  1867, 
while  the  repairs  were  in  progress  on  the  Tabernacle,  the  con- 
gregation  used  Agricultural  Hall,  which  was  crowded  every  Sunday 
morning  by  20,000  persons. 

The  work  of  conversion  goes  on  constantly  ;  the  Lord  adds  to  the 
church  dail}/  such  as  shall  be  saved.  The  average  gross  increase 
yearly  to  the  church-membership  has  been  390— clear  increase,  204> 


SPURGEON,   AND   REACHING    THE  PEOPLE.  9 

In  twenty-one  years  the  membership  ran  up  from  313  to  4,813  ;  and 
probably  fully  as  many  converts  have  gone  into  other  churches, 
Aud  yet,  had  the  advice  of  a  large  and  respectable  inmoritj'  been 
followed,  or  had  the  jealousy  of  other  congregations  interfered  to 
prevent  the  new  enterprise,  that  people  would  yet  be  holding  ser- 
vice in  that  old  Park  Street  church,  which,  at  its  best,  would  hold 
not  more  than  from  1000  to  1,500 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  church-enteriirise  does  not  stand  alone  as  a  proof 
that  the  early  success  of  the  apostolic  church  may  be  repeated  m 
these  latter  times  Mr  Moody  has  gone  through  not  a  few  cities  in 
this  country  and  Britain,  holding  free  services  in  immense  tempo- 
rary buildings  capable  of  holding  from  3,000  to  20,000  ,  and  no  length 
of  time  has  so  far  made  the  numbers  less  or  the  interest  to  flag.  An 
Episcopal  Church  in  New  York  City — and  it  seemed  to  some  a  seri- 
ous dei^arture  from  the  stateliness  of  their  traditional  dignity  !-- 
put  up  a  free  gospel  tent,  and  the  amazing  success  of  the  plan,  even 
with  a  system  having  so  little  flexibility  and  adaptability  as  the 
Episcopal,  was  supposed  to  have  startled  the  whole  of  Christendom, 
At  one  season  more  persons  were  confirmed  m  that  one  church  than 
were  ever  presented  in  any  Episcopal  church  in  this  country,  at  one 
time,  Pere  Hyacmthe  preached  every  Sunday  m  the  Amphitheatre 
of  the  Chateau  d'Eau,  at  Pans,  to  more  than  4,000  people. 

The  most  marked  successes  in  reaching  the  peox^le  seem  to  have 
been  attained  in  large  halls,  or  so-called  tabernacles.  And  there  is  a 
reason.  A  building  that  is  plain,  large  and  free,  built  without  regard 
to  display,  and  evidently  intended  for  the  multitudes,  strangely  at- 
tracts the  multitudes.  Wesley  and  WTiitefield  discovered  this  long 
ago.  And  there  are  reasons  why  even  size  and  capacity  are  essential 
helps  to  draw  the  people 

1.  Power  goes  with  a  multitude ;  there  is  a  mysterious  attraction 
which  draws  us  to  go  where  we  find  a  crowd. 

2.  Individuals  are  lost  sight  of  m  the  mass.  Many  a  man  or  wo- 
man dreads  to  enter  an  ordinary  church,  from  the  feeling  that  all 
eyes  are  turned  toward  the  stranger,  especially  if  such  be  very 
plainly  clad  and  not  at  home  in  a  church ;  but  such  slip  in  uncon- 
sciously with  the  multitude, 

3.  In  a  large  church  there  will  be  room  enough  for  regular  at- 
tendants to  have  a  regular  place,  without  crowding  strangers,  or 
making  the  distinction  too  apparent  between  themselves  and  the 
habitual  pew-holders. 

And  then  we  feel  constrained  to  say  that  there  is  so  much  that  is 
called  preaching  in  these  days  that  is  no  more  evangelical  or  fitted 
to   convert  men  than   a  political   harangue  or  a   secular  lecture 


10  SPURGEON,  AND  REACHING    THE  PEOPLE. 

or  an  historical  essay,  that  there  is  the  more  reason  why  the 
largest  access  to  souls  sliould  be  given  to  any  man  who  in  simplicity 
and  power  does  magnify  Christ  crucified.  For  one  I  rejoice  when  I  see 
the  man  who  dares  in  this  day  to  know  only  this  grand  theme,  having 
a  place  that  will  hold  the  people  in  great  numbers,  and  hav 
ing  it  full— if  I  cannot  have  access  to  the  masses,  or  cannot  hold 
them,  God  send  them  to  hear  the  man  who  can  win  and  save  tho 
lost ! 

To  one  {feature  of  this  great  church  enterprise  it  behooves  us  to 
pay  special  heed-  This  is  only  a  centre  from  which  radiate  m  every 
direction  evangelizing  influences.  This  church  is  a  mother  of 
churches,  missions,  Sunday  Schools,  preaching  stations  and  every 
conceivable  form  of  outside  gospel  extension  and  benevolent  work, 
and  this  not  because  the  church  is  so  prosperous — this  makes  the 
church  prosperous.  Every  effort,  self-sacrifice,  onward  movement, 
looking  toward  the  masses  of  the  people  living  about  m  practical 
heathenism,  has  a  reacting  influence  on  the  chiirch  centre.  Men  and 
women  go  out  to  carry  a  blessing  and  come  back  to  bring  a 
greater  blessing  than  they  bore  away  ;  they  come  to  tell  of  good 
done,  souls  won,  hungry  fed,  and  the  Spirit  outpoured  ;  and  so  the 
mother  church  is  constantly  warmed  and  fed  and  filled  and  in- 
spired anew ! 

This  church  is  a  little  kingdom;  it  has  a  score  of  departments 
within  itself;  there  is  the  Pastor's  college,  now  m  a  separate  build- 
ing, with  over  a  hundred  students,  and  an  outlay  of  about  $22,500, 
raised  by  voluntary  subscription.  More  than  700  of  its  students  are 
now  preaching  the  gospel  in  A^arious  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  several 
hundred  lay  preachers  have  been  furnished  beside,  drawn  from  the 
plow  or,  for  aught  I  know,  from  the  scissors  grinders  on  the  streets. 
It  does  not  seek  to  maJce  preachers  so  much  as  to  aid  and  educate 
those  who  show  a  capacity  and  a  devotion  for  that  work ;  and  dur- 
ing the  two  years'  course  the  aim  is  to  help  students  to  publish 
"  the  plain  gospel  in  a  plain  way  "  In  the  metropolis  and  suburbs, 
about  fifty  chapels  are  supplied  by  these  students  or  graduates  of 
this  college. 

A  little  further  off  is  the  group  of  Almshouses,  m  which  scores  of  the 
poorest,  feeblest  of  the  congregation  are  sheltered  and  fed,  and  this 
again  is  maintained  by  voluntary  offerings.  In  connection  with 
the  almshouses  is  a  boys'  school,  where  300  pupils  are  taught.  There 
IS  beside  a  Colportage  society,  employing  men  who  act  as  both 
salesmen  and  evangelists.  Still  more,  there  is  the  Stock  well 
orphanage,  founded  in  1869  ;  and  it  had  a  curious  origin.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  wrote  an  article  for  the  Sword  and  Trowel,  urging  the 


SPURGEON,   AND  REACHING    THE   PEOPLE.  11 

fonndinf;  of  an  orphanaj::e,  and  accompanied  by  an  illustration  in- 
tended to  represent  Arnold,  the  Swiss  patriot,  throwing  himself  in- 
to the  ranks  of  the  Austrian  army.  The  wood  cut  was  so  wretched 
that  not  a  few  read  the  article  m  order  to  read  the  illustration  !  A 
benevolent  lady  wrote  shortly,  oHering  to  give  20,000  pounds 
for  a  boys' orphanage.  This  was  reserved  for  an  endowment  fund, 
and  a  large  enough  sum  raised  by  subscription  both  to  build  the  or- 
phan houses  and  to  add  5,000  pounds  to  the  endowment  fund.  It 
is  a  faith  work,  and  some  500  are  now  in  the  institution,  the 
buildings  of  which  cover  six  acres. 

Spurgeon  himself  is  both  a  full  and  ready  man,  and  his  pen  is  al- 
ways busy.  He  has  a  lecture  on  candles,  provoked  by  a  challenge 
from  a  student,  in  reply  to  his  remark  that  the  most  unpromising 
of  subjects  might  be  made,  in  earnest  hands,  to  yield  good  and  in- 
teresting matter,  like  the  German  novel  knitting  needles,  and 
Sterne's  sermon  on  the  text,  *'  Is  there  any  taste  in  the  white  of  an 

It  is  no  small  testimony  to  the  balance  of  his  character  that 
neither  extravagant  praise  nor  censure  caused  Si^urgeon  to  fall  from 
his  consistency  or  integrity,  or  to  falter  in  his  evangelical  work. 
Edward  Irving,  with  still  greater  gifts,  with  a  scholarship  that  was 
only  matched  by  his  splendid  imagination  and  marvellous  eloquence, 
lost  his  balance  under  the  influence  of  similar  temptations. 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons  are  regularly  reported  by  a  short-hand 
writer  and  given  publication  m  cheap  form  ;  their  circulation  va- 
ries from  20,000  to  nearly  half  a  million. 

This  great  church,  once  in  a  stagnant  state,  began,  however,  to 
move,  to  move  in  the  direction  of  extending  its  influence  in  the  metro- 
polis ;  first  one  new  station  was  manned,  Sunday  School  and 
preaching  and  prayer  meeting  began,  God's  blessing  followed  un- 
selfish efiort,  and  the  rewards  of  Christian  work  were  so  rich  that 
new  endeavors  were  provoked  and  new  self-denials  attcmx)ted.  We 
ought  not  to  rest  content  with  our  present  church  idleness.  There  is 
many  a  church  which  has  a  possible  future  of  both  members  and 
power,  and  may  shake  our  citres  to  their  centre.  New  churches, 
preaching  stations,  Sunday  Schools,  orphanages,  all  may  grow  up 
around  us,  on  one  condition:  Toliintartj  self-sacrifice  for  Christ,  No 
alive  minister  of  Christ  can  long  remain  where  he  cannot  see  the 
church  engaged  in  aggressive  work.  AVe  care  little  what  is  done  if 
it  be  only  done  and  done  m  the  Lord's  way.  O,  for  consecration  of 
capital,  not  only  of  money,  but  of  brains,  and  muscle,  and  affection 
and  service. 

There  are  men  by  the  score  who  could  i)reach  the  gospel  in  these 


12  SPURGE  ON,   AND  BEACHING   THE  PEOPLE. 

y 

cities  -with  imcommon  power,  and  "they  are  heref^in  our  congregations, 
and  they  rarely  open  their  months.  There  are  men  here  who  are 
burying  capital  m  investments  and  lands  and  bonds  and  buildings, 
who  could  give  an  impulse  to  new  enterprises  whose  usefulness 
would  be  ever  increasing  till  Gabriel  blows  his  trumpet  and  declares 
that  there  shall  be  no  longer  delay  '  O  for  a  consecrated  ambition 
to  push  the  chariot  of  the  Lord  forward  till  the  Lord  himself  shall 


THE   LORD   AND   THE   LEPER. 

February  12,  1888. 

*'An(l  there  came  a  leper  to  him,  beseeching  him,  and  kneeling 
down  to  him,  and  saying  unto  him.  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make 
me  clean.  And  Jesus,  moved  with  compassion,  put  forth  his  hand 
and  touched  him,  and  saith  unto  him,  I  will  ;  be  thou  clean.  And 
as  soon  as  he  had  spoken,  immediately  the  leprosy  departed  from 
him,  and  he  was  cleansed." — Mark  i.  40,  41,  42. 

Beloved,  we  saw  in  the  reading  that  our  Lord  had 
been  engaged  in  special  prayer.  He  had  gone  alone  on 
the  mountain-side  to  have  communion  with  Ged.  Simon 
and  the  rest  search  for  him,  and  he  comes  away  in  the 
early  morning,  with  the  burrs  from  the  hill-side  upon  his 
garments,  the  smell  of  the  field  upon  him,  even  of  a 
field  the  Lord  God  had  blessed ;  he  comes  forth  among 
the  people,  charged  with  power  which  he  had  received  in 
communion  with  the  Father  ;  and  now  we  may  expect  to 
see  wonders.  And  we  do  sec  them  ;  for  devils  fear  and 
fly  when  he  speaks  the  word;  and  by-and-by  there  comes 
to  him  one,  an  extraordinary  being,  condemned  to  live 
apart  from  the  rest  of  men,  lest  he  should  spread  defile- 
ment all  around,  A  leper  comes  to  him,  and  kneels  be- 
fore him,  and  expresses  his  confident  faith  in  him,  that 
he  can  make  him  whole.  Now  is  the  Son  of  Man  glorious 
in  his  power  to  save. 

The   Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  this  day  has  all  power  in 

(13) 


14  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

heaven  and  in  earth.     He  is  charged  with  a  divine  ener- 
gy to  bless  all   who   come  to   him  for    healing.      Oh    that 
we  may  see  to-day   some  great  wonder  of  his  power  and 
grace  !     Oh  for  one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  Man  here 
and  now  !     To  that   end  it  is   absolutely  needfid  that  we 
should  find  a  case  for  his  spiritual  power  to  work  upon. 
Is  there  not  one  here   in    whom  his  grace   may  prove  its 
omnipotence  %     Not    you,    ye    good,    ye    self-righteous ! 
You  yield  him  no  space  to  work  in.      You  that  are  whole 
have  no  need  of  a  physician  :  in  you  there  is  no  opportu- 
nity for  him  to  display   his  miraculous  force.    But  yonder 
are  the  men  we  seek  for.     Forlorn,   and  lost,  full  of  evil, 
and  self-condemned,  you    are    the   characters   we    seek. 
You  that  feel   as  if  you  were  possessed  with  evil  spirits, 
and  you  that  are  leprous  with  sin,  you  are  the  persons  in 
whom  Jesus   will  find  ample   room  and  verge  enough  for 
the  display  of  nis  holy  skill.     Of  you  I  might  say,    as  he 
once   said  of  the   man  born  blind  :  you  are  here  that  the 
works  of  God  may  be  manifest  in  you.      You,  with  your 
guilt  and   your   depravity,  you  furnish  the  empty  vessels 
into  which  his  grace  may  be  poured,  the  sick  souls  upon 
wdiom  he  may   display  his  matchless  power  to  bless  and 
save.     Be  hopefid,  then,  ye  sinful  ones !     Look   up  this 
morning  for  the   Lord's  approach,   and  expect  that  even 
in  you  he  will  work   great  marvels.     This  leper  shall  be 
a  picture — yea,  I  hope   a  mirror — in  whom  you  will  see 
youi'selves.     I  do  pray  that  as  I  go  over   the  details  of 
this  miracle,  many  here  may  put  themselves  in  the  leper's 
place,   and  do  just  as  the  leper  did,  and  receive,  just    as 
the  leper  received,  cleansing  from  the  hand  of  Christ.    O 
Spirit  of  the  living  God,  the  thousands  of  our  Israel  now 
entreat  thee  to  Avork,  that  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  may  be 
glorified  here  and  now ! 


THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER.  15 

I.  I  will  begin  my  rehearsal  of  the  gospel  narrative  by 
remarking,  first,  that  this  leper^s  faith  made  him 
EAGER  TO  BE  HEALED.  He  was  a  leper ;  I  will  not  stay 
just  now  to  describe  what  horrors  are  compacted  into  that 
single  word ;  but  he  believed  that  Jesus  could  cleanse 
him,  and  his  belief  stirred  him  to  an  anxious  desire  to 
be  healed  at  once. 

Alas  !  we  have  to  deal  with  spiritual  lepers  eaten  up 
with  the  foul  disease  of  sin ;  but  some  of  them  do  not  he- 
licve  that  they  ever  can  he  healed,  and  the  consequence  is 
that  despair  makes  them  sin  most  greedily.  '^  I  may  as 
well  be  hanged  for  a  sheep  as  for  a  lamb/'  is  the  inward 
impression  of  many  a  sinner  when  he  fears  that  there  is  no 
mercy  and  no  help  for  him.  Because  there  is  no  hope, 
therefore,  they  plunge  deeper  and  yet  deeper  into  the 
slough  of  iniquity.  Oh  that  you  might  be  delivered 
from  that  false  idea  !  Mercy  still  rules  the  hour.  There 
is  hope  while  Jesus  sends  his  gospel  to  you,  and  bids  you 
repent.  "  I  believe  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins  "  :  this  is 
a  sweet  sentence  of  a  true  creed.  I  believe  also  in  the 
renewal  of  men's  hearts  ;  for  the  Lord  can  give  new 
hearts  and  right  spirits  to  the  evil  and  unthankful.  I 
would  that  you  believed  it ;  for  if  you  did,  I  trust  it  would 
quicken  you  into  seeking  that  your  sins  might  be  forgiven, 
and  your  minds  might  be  renewed.  Do  you  believe  it  f 
Then  come  to  Jesus  and  receive  the  blessings  of  free 
grace. 

We  have  a  number  of  lej)ers  who  come  in  among  us 
whose  disease  is  white  upon  their  brows,  and  visible  to 
all  beholders,  and  yet  they  are  indifferent :  they  do  not 
mourn  their  wickedness,  nor  wish  to  be  cleansed  from  it. 
They  sit  among  God's  people,  and  they  listen  to  the 
doctrine  of  a  new  birth^  and  the  news  of  pardon,  and  they 


16  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

hear  the  teaching  as  though  it  had  nothing  to  do  with 
them.     If  now   and  then  thej  half  wish    that  salvation 
would    come    to   them,   it  is  too   languid  a  wish  to  last. 
They  have  not  yet   so  perceived  their  disease  and  their 
danger  as  to  pray  to  be   delivered  from   them.      They 
sleep  on  upon  the  bed  of  sloth,  and  care  neither  for  heav 
en  nor  hell.     Indifference  to  spiritual  things  is  the  sin  of 
the  age.     Men  are  stolid  of  heart  about   eternal  reahties. 
An  awful  apathy   is   upon   the  multitude.      The  leper  in 
our  text  is  not  so  foolish  as  this.     He  eagerly  desired  to 
be  delivered  from  his   dreadfid  malady  :  with  heart  and 
soul  he  pined  to  be  cleansed  from  its  terrible  defilement. 
Oh  that  it  were  so  with  you!     May  the  Lord  make  you 
feel  how  depraved  your  heart  is,  and  how  diseased  with 
sin  are  all  the  faculties  of  your  soul !    Alas,  dear  fnends, 
there  are  some  that  even  love  their  leprosy  I     Is  it  not  a  sad 
thing  to   have  to   speak  thus  %     Surely,   madness   is  m 
men's  hearts.     Men   do  not  -wish  to   be  saved  from  doing 
evil.     They  love  the  ways  and  wages  of  iniquity^     They 
would  like  to  go  to   heaven,   but  they  must  have  their 
drunken  frolics  on  the  road  ;  they   would  very  well  like 
to  be  saved  from  hell,  but  not  from  the  sin  which  is  the 
cause  of  it.     Their  notion  of  salvation  is  not  to  be  saved 
from  the  love   of  evil,  and  to  be   made   pure  and  clean ; 
but  that  is   God's  meaning  when  he  speaks  of  salvation. 
How  can  they  hope  to  be  the  slaves  of  sin,  and  yet  at  the 
same  time  be  free  %     Our  first  necessity  is  to  be  saved 
from  sinning.     The  very  name  of  Jesus  tells  us  that :  he 
is  called  Jesus  because  ''  he  shall   save   his  people  from 
their  sins."     These  persons   do  not  care  for  a  salvation 
which  would  mean   self-denial  and  the  giving  up   of  un- 
godly lusts.     0  wretched  lepers,  that  count  their  leprosy 
to  be  a  beauty,   and  take  pleasure  m  sin,  which  in  the 


THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER.  yj 

sight  of  God  is  far  more  loathsome  than  the  worst  disease 
of  the  body !  Oh  that  Christ  Jesus  woidd  come  and 
change  their  views  of  things  imtil  they  were  of  the  same 
mmd  as  God  towards  sin;  and  you  know  he  calls  it  ^^  that 
abominable  thing  which  I  hate."  Oh  if  men  coidd  see 
their  love  to  wrong  things  to  be  a  disease  more  sickening 
than  leprosy,  they  would  fain  be  saved,  and  saved  at 
once  !  Holy  Spirit,  convince  us  of  sin,  that  sinners  may 
be  eager  to  be  cleansed  ! 

Lepers  were  obliged  to  consort  together :  lepers  asso- 
ciated with  lepers,  and  they  must  have  made  up  a  dread- 
fid  confraternity.     How  glad  they  would  have  been  to  es- 
cape from  it !    But  I  know  spiritual  lepers  who  love  the  com- 
pany of  their  felloiv  lepers.     Yes,  and  the  more  leprous  a 
man  becomes,   the  more  do  they  admire  him.     A  bold 
sinner  is  often  the  idol  of  his  comrades.     Though  foid  in 
his  life,  others  cling  to  him  for  that  very  reason.      Such 
persons  like   to  learn  some  new  bit  of  wickedness,  they 
are  eager  to  be  initiated  into  a  yet  darker  form  of  impure 
pleasure.     Oh  how  they  long  to  hear  that  last  lascivious 
song,  to  read  that  last  impure   novel !     It  seems  to  be 
the  desire   of  many  to  know  as  much  evil   as  they  can. 
They  flock  together,  and  take  a  dreadfid  pleasure  in  talk 
and  action  which  is  the  horror  of  all  pure  minds.    Strange 
lepers,  that  heap   up  leprosy  as  a  treasure  !     Even  those 
who  do  not  go  into  gross,   open  sin,  yet  are  pleased  with 
mfidel  notions,  and  sceptical  opinions,  which  are  a  wretch- 
ed form   of  mental  leprosy.     0  horrible  malady,  which 
makes  men  doubt  the  word  of  the  living  God ! 

Lepers  were  not  allowed  to  associate  with  healthy  per- 
sons except  imder  severe  restrictions.  Thus  were  they 
separated  from  their  nearest  and  dearest  friends.  What 
a  sorrow  !     Alas !  I  know  persons  thus  separated,  wh(? 


18  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

do  not  tvish  to  associate  with  the  godly  ;  to  them  holy  com- 
pany is  dull  and  wearisome  5  they  do  not  feel  free  and 
easy  in  such  society^  and  therefore  they  avoid  it  as  much 
as  decency  allows.  How  can  they  hope  to  live  with 
saints  forever,  when  they  shun  them  now  as  duU,  and 
moping  acquaintances  ? 

0  my  hearers,  I  have  come  hither  this  morning  in  the 
hope  that  God  would  bless  the  word  to  some  poor  sinner 
who  feels  he  is  a  sinner,  and  would  fain  be  cleansed :  such 
is  the  leper  I  am  seeking  with  my  whole  heart.  I  pray 
God  to  bless  the  word  to  those  who  wish  to  escape  from 
evil  company,  who  would  no  longer  sit  in  the  assembly 
of  the  mockers,  nor  run  in  the  paths  of  the  unholy.  To 
those  who  have  groTvni  weary  of  their  sinful  companions, 
and  would  escape  from  them,  lest  they  shoidd  be  bound 
up  in  bundles  with  them  to  burn  at  the  last  great  day — to 
such  I  speak  at  this  time  with  a  loving  desire  for  their 
salvation.  I  hope  my  word  will  come  with  divine  appli- 
cation to  some  poor  heart  here  that  is  crying,  "  I  wish  I 
might  be  numbered  with  the  people  of  God.  I  wish  I 
were  fit  to  be  a  door-keeper  in  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
Oh  that  my  di-eadful  sinfidness  were  conquered,  so  that 
I  could  have  fellowship  with  the  godly,  and  be  myself  one 
of  them  !  "  I  hope  my  Lord  has  brought  to  this  place 
just  such  lost  oneS;  that  he  may  find  them.  I  am  look- 
ing out  for  them  with  tearful  eyes.  But  my  feeble  eyes 
cannot  read  inward  character ;  and  it  is  well  that  the 
loving  Saviour,  who  discerns  the  secrets  of  all  hearts,  and 
reads  all  inward  desires,  is  looking  from  the  watch-towers 
of  heaven,  that  he  may  discover  those  who  are  coming  to 
him,  even  though  as  yet  they  are  a  great  way  off.  Oh 
that  sinners  may  now  beg  and  pray  to  be  rescued  from 
their  sins !     Mav   those  who  have  become  habituated  to 


THE  LORD  AND  THE  LEPER.  19 

evil  long  to  break  off  their  evil  habits  !  Happy  will  the 
preacher  be  if  he  finds  himself  surrounded  with  penitents 
who  hate  their  sins^  and  guilty  ones  who  cry  to  be  for- 
given, and  to  be  so  changed  that  they  shall  go  and  sin  no 
more, 

II.  In  the  second  place,  let  us  remark  that  this 
leper's  faith  was  strong  enough  to  make  him  be- 
lieve   THAT     he   could    BE     HEALED    OF    HIS    HIDEOUS 

DISEASE.  Leprosy  ivas  an  imutterahly  loathsome  disease. 
As  it  exists  even  now,  it  is  described  by  those  who  have 
seen  it,  in  such  a  way  that  I  will  not  harrow  your  feel- 
ings by  repeating  all  the  sickening  details.  The  follow- 
ing quotation  may  be  more  than  sufficient.  Dr.  Thomp- 
son, in  his  famous  work,  "  The  Land  and  the  Book," 
speaks  of  lepers  in  the  East,  and  says,  ^^  The  hair  falls 
from  the  head  and  eyebrows ;  the  nails  loosen,  decay 
and  drop  off ;  joint  after  joint  of  the  fingers  and  toes 
shrink  up  and  slowly  fall  away.  The  gums  are  absorbed, 
and  the  teeth  disappear.  The  nose,  the  eyes,  the  tongue 
and  the  palate  are  slowly  consumed."  This  disease  turns 
a  man  into  a  mass  of  loathsomeness,  a  walking  pile  of 
pests.  Leprosy  is  nothing  better  than  a  horrible  and 
lingering  death.  The  leper  in  the  narrative  before  us 
had  sad  personal  experience  of  this,  and  yet  he  believed 
that  Jesus  coidd  cleanse  him.  Splendid  faith  !  Oh  that 
you  who  are  afflicted  with  moral  and  spiritual  leprosy 
could  believe  in  this  fashion  !  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth 
can  heal  even  you.  Over  the  horror  of  leprosy,  faith 
triumphed.  Oh  that  in  your  case  it  would  overcome  the 
terribleness  of  sin  ! 

Leprosy  ivas  hnoivn  to  he  incurable.  There  was  no  case 
of  a  man  being  cured  of  real  leprosy  by  any  medical  or 
surgical  treatment.     This  made  the   cure  of  Naaman  in 


20  THE  LORD  AND-  THE   LEPER. 

former  ages  so  notewortliy.     Observe,  moreover,  that  our 
Saviour  himself^    so  far  as  I  can  see,  had  never  healed  a 
leper  up  to  the  moment  when   this  poor  wretch  appeared 
upon  the  scene.     He  had  cured  fever,   and  had  cast  out 
devils,  but  the  cure  of  leprosy  was  in  the  Saviour's  life 
as  yet  an  unexampled  thing.     Yet  this  man,  putting  this 
and  that  together,    and   understanding  something  of  the 
nature  and  character  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,   believed 
that  he  could  cure  him  of  his  incurable  disease.     He  felt 
that  even  if  the   great  Lord  had  not  yet  healed  leprosy, 
he  was  assuredly  capable  of  doing   so  great  a  deed,  and 
he   determined  to   apply   to   him.     Was  not  this  grand 
faith  %     Oh  that    such   faith   could  be  found   among  my 
hearers  at  this  hour  !     Hear  me,  0  trembling  sinner  :  if 
thou  be  as   full  of  sin  this  morning  as   an   ^^^  is  full  of 
meat,  Jesus  can  remove  it  all.     If  thy  propensities  to  sin 
be  as  untamable  as  the   wild  boar  of  the  wood,  yet  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Lord  of  all,   can  subdue  thine  iniquities,  and 
make  thee  the  obedient   servant  of  his  love.     Jesus  can 
turn  the  lion  into  a  lamb,  and  he  can  do  it  now.     He  can 
transform  thee  where   thou   art  sitting,  saving   thee  in 
yonder  pew  while  I  am  speaking  the  word.     All  things 
are  possible  to  the  Saviour  God ;  and  all  things  are  possi- 
ble to  him  that  believeth.     I   v\^ould  thou  hadst   such  a 
faith  as  this  leper  had,   although  if  it  were  even  less  it 
might  serve  thy  turn,  since  thou  hast  not  all  his  difficid- 
ties  to  contend  Avith,  since  Jesus  has  already  saved  many 
sinners  like  thyself,  and  changed  many  hearts  as  hard  as 
thine.     If  he  shall  regenerate  thee,  he  will  be  doing  for 
thee  no  strange  thing,  but  only  one  of  the  daily  miracles 
of  his  grace.    He  has  now  healed  thousands  of  thy  fellow 
lepers:  canst  thou  not  believe  that  he  can  heal  the  leprosy 
in  thee  % 


THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER.  21 

This  man  liad  a  marvellous  faith,  thus  to  believe  while 
lie  teas  xjersonally  the  victim  of  tJiat  mortal  malady.  It  is 
one  thing  to  trust  a  doctor  when  you  are  well,  but  quite 
another  to  confide  in  him  when  your  body  is  rotting 
away.  For  a  real,  conscious  sinner  to  trust  the  Saviour 
is  no  mean  thing.  When  you  hope  that  there  is  some 
good  thing  in  you,  it  is  easy  to  be  confident ;  but  to  be 
conscious  of  total  ruin  and  yet  to  believe  in  the  divine 
remedy — this  is  real  faith.  To  see  in  the  sunshine  is 
mere  natural  vision  ;  but  to  see  in  the  dark  needs  the 
eye  of  faith ;  to  believe  that  Jesus  has  saved  you  when 
you  see  the  signs  of  it,  is  the  result  of  reason  ;  but  to 
trust  him  to  cleanse  you  while  you  are  still  defiled  with 
sin — this  is  the  essence  of  saving  faith. 

The  leprosy  tvasjirmly  seated  and  fully  developed  in  this 
man,  Luke  says  that  he  was  "  fidl  of  leprosy  ;  "  he  had  as 
much  of  the  poison  in  him  as  one  poor  body  could  contain, 
it  had  come  to  its  worst  stage  in  him  ;  and  yet  he  believed 
that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  could  make  him  clean.  Glorious 
confidence !  0  my  hearer,  if  thou  art  full  of  sin,  if  thy 
propensities  and  habits  have  become  as  bad  as  bad  can 
be,  I  pray  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  thee  faith  enough  to 
believe  that  the  Son  of  God  can  forgive  thee  and  renew 
thee,  and  do  it  at  once.  With  one  word  of  his  mouth 
Jesus  can  turn  your  death  into  life,  your  corruption  into 
comeliness.  Changes  which  we  cannot  work  in  others^ 
much  less  in  ourselves,  Jesus,  by  his  invincible  Spirit, 
can  work  in  the  hearts  of  the  ungodly.  Of  these  stones, 
he  can  raise  up  children  unto  Abraham,  His  moral  and 
spiritual  miracles  are  often  wrought  upon  cases  which 
seem  beyond  all  hope,  cases  which  pity  itself  endeavors 
to  forget  because  her  efforts  have  been  so  long  in  vain. 

I  like  best  about  this  man's  faith  the   fact  that  he  did 


22  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

not  merely  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  coiild  cleanse  a 
leper,  but  that  he  could  cleanse  him  !  He  said,  "  Lord, 
if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean.^'  It  is  very  easy 
to  believe  for  other  people.  There  is  really  no  faith  in 
such  impersonal,  proxy  confidence.  The  true  faith  be- 
lieves for  itself  first,  and  then  for  others.  Oh,  I  know 
some  of  you  are  saying,  '^  I  believe  that  Jesus  can  save 
my  brother,  I  believe  that  he  can  save  the  vilest  of 
tne  vile.  If  I  heard  that  he  had  saved  the  biggest 
drunkard  in  Southwark  I  should  not  wonder."  Canst 
thou  believe  all  this,  and  yet  fear  that  he  cannot  save 
thee  ?  This  is  strange  inconsistency.  If  he  heals  another 
man's  leprosy,  can  he  not  heal  thy  leprosy  ?  If  one 
drunkard  is  saved,  why  not  another  ?  If  in  one  man  a 
passionate  temper  is  subdued,  why  not  in  another  ?  If 
lust,  and  covetousness,  and  lying,  and  pride  have  been 
cured  in  many  men,  w^hy  not  in  thee '?  Even  if  thou  art 
a  blasphemer,  blasphemy  has  been  cured ;  why  should 
it  not  be  so  in  thy  case  ?  He  can  heal  thee  of  that  par- 
ticular  form  of  sin  which  possesses  thee,  however  high  a 
degree  its  power  may  have  reached  ;  for  nothing  is  too 
hard  for  the  Lord.  Jesus  can  change  and  cleanse  thee  now. 
In  a  moment  he  can  impart  a  new  life  and  commence  a 
new  character.  Canst  thou  believe  this  ?  This  is  the 
faith  which  glorified  Jesus,  and  brought  healing  to  this 
leper ;  and  it  is  the  faith  which  will  save  you  at  once  if 
you  now  exercise  it.  O  Spirit  of  the  living  God,  work 
this  faith  in  the  minds  of  my  dear  hearers,  that  they  may 
thus  win  their  suit  with  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  go  their  way 
healed  of  the  plague  of  sin  ! 

III.  Now,  notice,  thirdly,  that  this  man's  faith  was 
FIXED  ON  Jesus  Christ  aloxe.  Let  me  read  the  man's 
words  again.     He  said   unto  Jesus,  "  If  thou  wilt,  thou 


THE  LORD  AND   THE  LEPER.  23 

canst  make  me  clean. '^  Throw  the  emphasis  upon  the 
pronouns.  See  him  kneeling  before  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
hear  him  say,  "  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean." 
He  has  no  idea  of  looking  to  the  disciples ;  no,  not  to  one 
of  them  or  to  all  of  them.  He  had  no  notion  of  trusting 
in  a  measure  to  the  medicine  which  physicians  would 
prescribe  for  him.  All  that  is  gone.  No  dream  of  other 
hope  remains ;  but  with  his  eye  fully  fixed  on  the  blessed 
miracle-worker  of  Nazareth,  he  cries,  "•  If  thou  wilt,  thou 
canst  make  me  clean."  In  himself  he  had  no  shade  of 
confidence  ;  every  delusion  of  that  kind  had  been  ban- 
ished by  a  fierce  experience  of  his  disease.  He  knew 
that  none  on  earth  coidd  deliver  him,  and  that  by  no 
innate  power  of  constitution  could  he  throw  out  the  poi- 
son ;  but  he  confidently  believed  that  the  Son  of  God 
could  by  himself  eftect  the  cure.  This  was  God-given 
faith — the  faith  of  God's  elect,  and  Jesus  was  its  sole 
object. 

How  came  this  man  to  have  such  faith  f  I  cannot  tell 
you  the  outward  means,  but  I  think  we  may  guess  with- 
out presumption.  Had  he  not  heard  our  Lord  preach  f 
]\Iatthew  puts  this  story  immediately  after  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  and  says,  ''  When  he  was  come  down  from 
the  mountain,  great  multitudes  followed  him.  And,  be 
hold,  there  came  a  leper  and  worshipped  him,  saying. 
Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean."  Had  this 
man  managed  to  stand  at  the  edge  of  the  crowd  and  hear 
Jesus  speak,  and  did  those  wondrous  words  convince  him 
that  the  great  Teacher  was  something  more  than  man  ? 
As  he  noted  the  style,  and  manner,  and  matter  of  that 
marvellous  sermon,  did  he  say  within  himself,  ^^  Never 
man  spake  like  this  man.  Tridy  he  is  the  Son  of  God, 
I  believe  in  him.     I  trust  him.     He  can  cleanse  me  "  I 


24  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER, 

May  God  bless  the  preaching  of  Christ  crucified  to  you 
who  hear  me  this  day  !  Is  not  this  used  of  the  Lord,  and 
made  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  belie  veth  % 

Perhaps  this  man  had  seen  our  Lordh  miracles,  I  feel 
sure  he  had.  He  had  seen  the  devils  cast  out,  and  had 
heard  of  Peter's  wife's  mother,  who  had  lain  sick  of 
a  fever,  and  had  been  instantaneously  recovered.  The 
leper  might  very  properly  argue — To  do  this  requires 
omnipotence  ;  and  once  granted  that  omnipotence  is  at 
work,  then  omnipotence  can  as  well  deal  with  leprosy  as 
with  fever.  Did  he  not  reason  well  if  he  argued  thus — 
What  the  Lord  has  done,  he  can  do  again  :  if  in  one  case 
he  has  displayed  almighty  power,  he  can  display  that 
same  power  in  another  case  ?  Thus  would  the  acts  of  the 
Lord  corroborate  his  words,  and  furnish  a  sure  founda- 
tion for  the  leper's  hope.  My  hearer,  have  you  not  seen 
Jesus  save  others  ?  Have  you  not  at  least  read  of  his 
miracles  of  grace  ?  Believe  him,  then,  for  his  works^ 
sake,  and  say  to  him,  "•  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst 
make  me  clean.'^ 

Besides,  I  think  this  man  may  have  heard  sometJimg  of 
the  story  of  Christy  and  may  have  been  familiar  with  the 
Old  Testament  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah.  We 
cannot  tell  but  some  disciple  may  have  informed  him  of 
John's  witness  concerning  the  Christ,  and  of  the  signs 
and  tokens  which  supported  John's  testimony.  He  may 
thus  have  discerned  in  the  Son  of  ]\Ian  the  Messiah  of 
God,  the  Incarnate  Deity.  At  any  rate,  as  knowledge 
must  come  before  faith,  he  had  received  knowledge  enough 
to  feel  that  he  could  trust  this  glorious  personage,  and  to 
believe  that,  if  he  willed  it,  Jesus  could  make  him  clean, 
0  my  dear  hearers,  cannot  you  trust    the    Lord  Jesus 


THE  LORD  AND   THE  LEPER.  25 

Christ  in  this  way  %  Do  you  not  believe — I  hope  you  do 
— that  he  is  the  Son  of  God  ;  and  if  so,  why  not  trust 
hiui  %  He  that  was  born  of  Mary  at  Bethlehem  was  God 
over  all,  blessed  forever !  Do  you  not  believe  this  % 
Why,  then,  do  you  not  rely  upon  God  in  our  nature  % 
You  believe  in  his  consecrated  life,  his  suffering  deatli, 
his  resurrection,  his  ascension,  his  sitting  in  power  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father ;  why  do  you  not  trust  him  % 
God  hath  highly  exalted  him ;  and  caused  all  fulness  to 
dwell  in  him  :  he  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost,  why 
do  you  not  come  to  him  %  Believe  that  he  is  able,  and 
then  with  all  thy  sins  before  thee,  red  like  scarlet — and 
with  all  thy  sinful  habits,  and  thy  evil  propensities  before 
thee,  ingrained  like  the  leopard's  spots — believe  that  the 
Saviour  of  men  can  at  once  make  thee  whiter  than  snow 
as  to  past  guilt,  and  free  from  the  present  and  future 
tyranny  of  evil.  A  divine  Saviour  must  be  able  to  cleanse 
thee  from  all  sin.  Only  Jesus  can  do  it — but  he  can  do  it — 
do  it  himself  alone,  do  it  now,  do  it  in  thee,  do  it  with  a  word. 
If  Jesus  wills  to  do  it,  it  is  all  that  is  wanted  ;  for  his  will 
is  the  will  of  the  Almighty  Lord.  Say,  '•^  Lord,  if  thou 
wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean."  Faith  must  be  fixed 
alone  on  Jesus.  None  other  name  is  given  among  men 
whereby  we  must  be  saA^ed.  I  do  pray  the  Lord  to 
give  that  faith  to  all  my  dear  friends  present  this  morn- 
ing who  as  yet  have  not  received  cleansing  at  the  Lord's 
hands.  Jesus  is  God's  ultimatum  of  salvation:  the  unique 
hope  of  guilty  men  both  as  to  pardon  and  renewal.  Ac- 
cept him  even  now. 

IV.  Now  let  me  go  a  step  further:  this  man's  faith 

HAD    RESPECT    TO    A     REAL,  MATTER-OF-FACT    CURE.       He 

did  not  think  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  a  priest  who 
"vould  perform  certain  ceremonies  over  him,  and  formally 


26  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

say,  ^^  Thou  art  clean ;  "  for  that  would  not  have  been 
true.  He  wanted  really  to  be  delivered  from  the  lep- 
rosy ;  to  have  those  dry  scales,  into  which  his  skin  kept 
turning,  taken  all  away,  that  his  flesh  might  become  as 
the  flesh  of  a  little  child  ;  he  wanted  that  the  rottenness 
which  Avas  eating  up  his  body  should  be  stayed,  and  that 
health  should  be  actually  restored.  Friends,  it  is  easy 
enough  to  believe  in  a  mere  priestly  absolution  if  you 
have  enough  credulity ;  but  we  need  more  than  this.  It 
is  very  easy  to  believe  in  Baptismal  Regeneration,  but 
what  is  the  good  of  it  !  What  practical  result  does  it 
produce  %  A  child  remains  the  same  after  it  has  been 
baptismally  regenerated  as  it  was  before,  and  it  grows  up 
to  prove  it.  It  is  easy  to  believe  in  Sacramentarianism 
if  you  are  foolish  enough  ;  but  there  is  nothing  in  it  when 
you  believe  in  it.  No  sanctifying  power  comes  with  out- 
ward ceremonials  in  and  of  themselves.  To  believe  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  can  make  us  love  the  good  things 
which  once  we  despised,  and  shun  those  evil  things  in 
which  we  once  took  pleasure — this  is  to  believe  in  him 
indeed  and  of  a  truth.  Jesus  can  totally  change  the 
nature,  and  make  a  sinner  into  a  saint.  This  is  faith  of 
a  practical  kind  ;  this  is  a  faith  worth  having. 

None  of  us  would  imagine  that  this  leper  meant  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  could  make  him  feel  comfortable  in  re- 
maining a  leper.  Some  seem  to  fancy  that  Jesus  came 
to  let  us  go  on  in  our  sins  with  a  quiet  conscience  ;  but 
he  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  His  salvation  is  cleansing 
from  sin,  and  if  we  love  sin  we  are  not  saved  from  it. 
We  cannot  have  justification  without  sanctification. 
There  is  no  use  in  quibbling  about  it ;  there  must  be  a 
change,  a  radical  change,  a  change  of  heart,  or  else  we 
are  not  saved.     I  put  it  now  to  you,  Do  you  desire  a 


THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER.  27 

moral  and  a  spiritual  change,  a  change  of  life,  thought 
and  motive  %  This  is  what  Jesus  gives.  Just  as  this 
leper  needed  a  thorough  physical  change,  so  do  you  need 
an  entire  renewal  of  your  spiritual  nature,  so  as  to  be- 
come a  new  creature  in  Jesus  Christ.  Oh  that  many 
here  would  desire  this,  for  it  would  be  a  cheering  sign. 
The  man  who  desires  to  be  pure  is  beginning  to  be  pure  ; 
tlie  man  who  sincerely  longs  to  conquer  sin  has  struck 
the  first  blow  already.  The  power  of  sin  is  shaken  in 
that  man  who  looks  to  Jesus  for  deliverance  from  it. 
The  man  who  frets  under  the  yoke  of  sin  will  not  long 
be  a  slave  to  it  ;  if  he  can  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
able  to  set  him  free,  he  shall  soon  quit  his  bondage. 
Some  sins  which  have  hardened  down  into  habits,  yet 
disappear  in  a  moment  when  Jesus  Christ  looks  upon  a 
man  in  love.  I  have  known  many  instances  of  persons 
who,  for  many  years,  had  never  spoken  without  an  oath, 
or  a  filthy  expression,  who,  being  converted,  have  never 
been  known  to  use  such  language  again,  and  have  scarcely 
ever  been  tempted  in  that  direction.  This  is  one  of  the 
sins  which  seem  to  die  at  the  first  shot,  and  it  is  a  very 
wonderfid  thing  it  should  be  so.  Others  I  have  known 
so  altered  at  once  that  the  very  propensity  which  was 
strongest  in  them  has  been  the  last  to  annoy  them  after- 
wards :  they  have  had  such  a  reversion  of  the  mind^s 
action  that,  while  other  sins  have  worried  them  for 
years,  and  they  have  had  to  set  a  strict  watch  against 
them,  yet  their  favorite  and  dominant  sin  has  never  again 
had  the  slightest  influence  over  them,  except  to  excite  an 
outburst  of  horror  and  deep  repentance.  Oh,  that  you 
had  faith  in  Jesus  that  he  could  thus  cast  down  and  cast 
out  your  reigning  sins  !  Believe  in  the  conquering  arm 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  he  will  do  it.     Conversion  is  the 


28  THE   LORD  AND    THE  LEPER. 

standing  miracle  of  the  cliiircli.  Where  it  is  genuine,  it 
is  as  clear  a  proof  of  divine  power  going  with  the  gospel 
as  was  the  casting  out  of  devils,  or  even  the  raising  of  the 
dead  in  our  Lord's  day.  We  see  these  conversions  still  ; 
and  have  proof  that  Jesus  is  able  to  work  great  moral 
marvels  still.  0  my  hearer,  where  art  thou  I  Canst 
thou  not  believe  that  Jesus  is  able  to  make  a  new  man 
of  thee  %  0  brethren,  who  have  been  saved,  I  entreat 
you  to  breathe  a  prayer  at  this  time  for  those  w^ho  are 
not  yet  cleansed  from  the  foid  disease  of  sin.  Pray  that 
they  may  have  grace  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  for 
purification  of  heart,  pardon  of  sin,  and  the  implantation 
of  eternal  life.  Then  when  faith  is  given,  the  Lord 
Jesus  will  work  their  sanctification,  and  none  shall  effect- 
ually hinder.  Li  silence  let  us  pray  for  a  moment. 
(Here  there  was  a  pause,  and  silent  prayer  went  up  to 
heaven.) 

V.  And  now  we  will  go  another  step  :  this  man's  faith 

WAS  ATTENDED  WITH  WHAT  APPEARS  TO  BE  A  HESITANCY. 
But,  after  thinking  it  over  a  good  deal,  I  am  hardly  in- 
clined to  think  it  such  a  hesitancy  as  many  have  judged 
it  to  be.  He  said,  "  If  thou  Vvdlt,  thou  canst  make  me 
clean."  There  was  an  "if"  in  this  speech,  and  that 
"if"  has  aroused  the  suspicions  of  many  preachers. 
Some  think  it  supposes  that  he  doubted  our  Lord's  will- 
ingness. I  hardly  think  that  the  language  justly  bears 
so  harsh  a  construction.  What  he  meant  may  have  been 
this — "  Lord,  I  do  not  know  yet  that  thou  art  sent  to  heal 
lepers  ;  I  have  not  seen  that  thou  hast  ever  done  so  ;  but 
still,  if  it  be  within  the  compass  of  thy  commission,  I  be- 
lieve thou  wilt  do  it,  and  assuredly  thou  canst  if  thou 
wilt.  Thou  canst  heal  not  only  some  lepers,  but  me  in 
particidar ;  thou  canst  make  me  clean."     Kow,  I  think 


THE   LORD   AND    THE  LEPER.  29 

tills  was  a  legitimate  thing  for  him  to  say,  as  he  had  not 
seen  a  leper  healed — "If  it  be  within  the  compass  of  thy 
comiiiission,  I  believe  thou  canst  make  me  whole." 

Moreover,  I  admire  in  this  text  the  deference  tvhich  the 
leper  pays  to  the  sovereignty  of  Chris fs  will  as  to  the  he- 
stowal  of  his  gifts.  "  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me 
clean ;  " — as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  know  thou  hast  a  right 
to  distribute  these  great  favors  exactly  as  thou  pleasest. 
I  have  no  claim  upon  thee ;  I  cannot  say  that  thou  art 
bound  to  make  me  clean  *,  I  appeal  to  thy  pity  and  free 
favor.  The  matter  remains  with  thy  will."  The  man 
had  never  read  the  text  which  saith.  ^'  It  is  not  of  him 
that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that 
showeth  mercy,"  for  it  was  not  yet  written  ;  but  he  had 
in  his  mind  the  humble  spirit  suggested  by  that  grand 
truth.  He  owned  that  grace  must  come  as  a  free  gift  of 
God's  good  pleasure  when  he  said,  "  Lord,  if  thou  Avilt.'' 
^Beloved,  we  need  never  raise  a  question  as  to  the  Lord's 
will  to  give  grace  when  we  have  the  will  to  receive  it ; 
but  still,  I  would  have  every  sinner  feel  that  he  has  no 
claim  upon  God  for  anything.  0  sinner,  if  the  Lord 
should  give  thee  up,  as  he  did  the  heathen  described  in 
the  first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  thou  de- 
servest  it.  If  he  should  never  look  upon  thee  with  an 
eye  of  love,  what  couldst  thou  say  against  his  righteous 
sentence?  Thou  hast  willfully  sinned,  and  thou  deservest 
to  be  left  in  thy  sin.  Confessing  all  this,  we  still  cling  to 
our  firm  belief  in  the  power  of  grace,  and  cry,  "  Lord, 
if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst."  We  appeal  to  our  Saviour's 
pitying  love,  relying  upon  his  boundless  power. 

See,  also,  how  the  leper,  to  my  mind,  really  spealcs 
ivithoiit  any  hesitancy,  if  you  understand  him.  He  does 
not  say,  "  Lord,  if  thou  puttest  out  thy  hand,  thou  canst 


30  THE  LORD  AND    THE   LEPER 

make  me  clean;"  nor,  ^' Lord,  if  thou  speakest,  then 
canst  make  me  clean  ; "  but  only,  ^^  Lord,  if  thou  tvtity 
thou  canst  make  me  clean  : "  thy  mere  will  can  do  it. 
Oh,  splendid  faith  !  If  you  are  inclined  to  spy  a  little 
halting  in  it,  I  would  have  you  admire  it  for  running  so 
well  with  a  lame  foot.  If  there  was  a  weakness  any- 
where in  his  faith,  still  it  was  so  strong  that  the  weakness 
only  manifests  its  strength.  Sinner,  it  is  so  ;  and  I  pray 
God  that  thy  heart  may  grasp  it — if  the  Lord  wdlls  it  he 
can  make  thee  clean.  Believest  thou  this  ?  If  so,  carry 
out  practically  what  thy  faith  will  suggest  to  thee — name- 
ly, that  thou  come  to  Jesus  and  plead  with  him,  and  get 
from  him  the  cleansing  which  thou  needest.  To  that  end 
I  am  hoping  to  lead  thee,  as  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  enable 
me. 

VI.  In  the  sixth  place,  notice  that  this  man's   faith 

HAD   EARNEST   ACTION    FLOWING    OUT    OF    IT.       Believing 

that,  if  Jesus  wiUed,  he  could  make  him  clean,  what  did 
the  leper  do  ?  At  once  he  came  to  Jesus.  I  know  not 
from  what  distance,  but  he  came  as  near  to  Jesus  as  he 
could.  Then  we  read  that  he  besought  him ;  that  is  to 
say,  he  pleaded,  and  pleaded,  and  pleaded  again.  He 
cried,  ^^  Lord,  cleanse  me !  Lord,  heal  my  leprosy  !'' 
Nor  was  this  all ;  he  feU  on  his  knees  and  worshipped  ; 
for  we  read,  "  Kneeling  down  to  him."  He  not  only 
knelt,  but  knelt  to  Jesus.  He  had  no  difficulty  as  to 
paying  him  divine  honor.  He  worshipped  the  Lord 
Christ,  paying  him  reverent  homage.  He  then  went  on 
to  honor  him  by  an  open  acknowledgment  of  his  power, 
his  marvellous  power,  his  infinite  power,  by  saying, 
^^Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean."  I  should 
not  wonder  if  some  that  stood  by  began  to  smile  at  what 
they  thought  the  poor  man's  fanatical  credulity.     They 


THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER.  3I 

murmured,  "  What  a  poor  fool  this  leper  is,  to  think  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  can  cure  him  of  his  leprosy  ! "  Such 
a  confession  of  faith  had  seldom  been  heard.  But  what- 
ever critics  and  sceptics  might  think,  this  brave  man 
boldly  declared,  '•'  Lord,  this  is  my  confession  of  faith  :  I 
believe  that,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean." 
Now,  poor  soul,  thou  that  art  full  of  guilt,  and  hardened 
in  sin,  and  yet  anxious  to  be  healed,  look  straight  away 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  here  now.  In  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  he  is  with  us  alway.  With  the 
eyes  of  thy  mind  behold  him,  for  he  beholdeth  thee. 
Thou  knowest  that  he  lives,  even  though  thou  seest  him 
not.  Believe  in  this  living  Jesus  ;  believe  for  perfect 
cleansing.  Cry  to  him,  worship  him,  adore  him,  trust 
him.  He  is  very  God  of  very  God;  bow  before  him, 
and  cast  thyself  upon  his  mercy.  Go  home,  and  on  thy 
knees  say,  '•''  Lord,  I  believe  that  thou  canst  make  me 
clean."  He  will  hear  your  cry,  and  will  save  you. 
There  will  be  no  interval  between  your  prayer  and  the 
gracious  reward  of  faith,  of  which  I  am  now  to  speak. 

YII.  Lastly,,  his  faith  had  its  eeward.  Have 
patience  with  me  just  a  minute.  The  reward  of  this 
man's  faith  was,  first,  that  liis  very  ivords  were  treasured 
tip,  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  all  three  of  them  record  the 
precise  words  which  this  man  used  :  "  Lord,  if  thou  wilt, 
thou  canst  make  me  clean."  They  evidently  did  not  see 
so  much  to  find  fault  with  in  them  as  some  have  done  ;  on 
the  contrary,  they  thought  them  gems  to  be  placed  in  the 
setting  of  their  gospels.  Three  times  over  are  they  re- 
corded, because  they  are  such  a  splendid  confession  of 
faith  for  a  poor  diseased  leper  to  have  made.  I  believe 
that  God  is  as  much  glorified  by  that  one  sentence  of  the 
leper  as  by  the  song  of  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  when 


32  THE  LORD  AND   THE  LEPER. 

they  continually  do  cry,  ^^  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
of  Sabaoth.^^  A  sinner's  lips  declaring  his  confident  faith 
in  God's  own  Son  can  breathe  sonnets  unto  God  more 
sweet  than  those  of  the  angelic  choirs.  This  man's  first 
faith-words  are  folded  up  in  the  fair  linen  of  three  evan- 
gels, and  laid  up  in  the  treasury  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
God  values  the  language  of  humble  confidence. 

His  next  reward  was,  that  Jesus  echoed  his  words.  He 
said,  "Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean;'' 
and  Jesus  said,  "  I  will ;  be  thou  clean."  As  an  echo 
answers  to  the  voice,  so  did  Jesus  to  his  supplicant.  The 
Lord  Jesus  was  so  pleased  with  this  man's  words  that  he 
caught  them  as  they  leaped  out  of  his  mouth,  and  used 
them  himself,  saying,  "  I  will ;  be  thou  clean."  If  you 
can  only  get,  then,  as  far  as  this  leper's  confession,  I  be- 
lieve that  our  Lord  Jesus  from  his  throne  above  will  an- 
swer to  your  prayer. 

So  potent  were  the  words  of  this  leper  that  Oiey  moved 
our  Lord  very  ivonderfidly.  Read  the  forty-first  verse : 
"  And  Jesus,  moved  with  compassion."  The  Greek  word 
here  used,  if  I  were  to  pronounce  it  in  your  hearing, 
would  half  suggest  its  OT^^l  meaning.  It  expresses  a  stir- 
ring of  the  entire  manhood,  a  commotion  in  all  the  in- 
ward parts.  The  heart  and  all  the  vitals  of  the  man  are 
in  active  movement.  The  Saviour  was  greatly  moved. 
You  have  seen  a  man  moved,  have  you  not  f  When  a 
strong  man  is  unable  any  longer  to  restrain  himself,  and 
is  forced  to  give  way  to  his  feelings,  you  have  seen  him 
tremble  all  over,  and  at  last  burst  out  into  an  evident 
break-down.  It  was  just  so  with  the  Saviour  :  his  pity 
moved  him,  his  delight  in  the  leper's  faith  mastered  him 
When  he  heard  the  man  speak  with  snch  confidence  h 
him,  the  Saviour  was  moved  with  a  sacred  passion,  v;hich 


THE  LORD  AND   THE  LEPER.  33 

as  it  was  in  sympathy  with  the  leper,  is  called  ^^  compas- 
sion." Oh;  to  think  that  a  poor  leper  should  have  such 
power  over  the  divine  Son  of  God  !  Yet,  my  hearer,  in 
all  thy  sin  and  misery,  if  thou  canst  believe  in  Jesus,  thou 
canst  move  the  heart  of  thy  blessed  Saviour.  Yea,  even 
now  his  bowels  yearn  towards  thee. 

No  sooner  was  our  Lord  Jesus  thus  moved  than  out 
tvent  his  hand,  and  he  touched  the  man  and  healed  him 
immediately.  It  did  not  require  a  long  time  for  the 
working  of  the  cure  ;  but  the  leper's  blood  was  cooled  and 
cleansed  in  a  single  second.  Our  Lord  could  work  this 
miracle,  and  make  all  things  new  in  the  man ;  for  ^'  all 
things  were  made  by  him  ;  and  without  him  was  not  any- 
thing made  that  was  made."  He  restored  the  poor,  de- 
caying, putrefying  body  of  this  man,  and  he  was  cleansed 
at  once.  To  make  him  quite  sure  that  he  was  cleansed, 
the  Lord  Jesus  bade  him  go  to  the  priest,  and  seek  a 
certificate  of  health.  He  was  so  clean  that  he  might  be 
examined  by  the  appointed  sanitary  authority,  and  come 
off  without  suspicion.  The  cure  which  he  had  received 
was  a  real  and  radical  one,  and  therefore  he  might  go 
away  at  once,  and  get  the  certificate  of  it.  If  our  con- 
verts will  not  bear  practical  tests,  they  are  worth  nothing; 
let  even  our  enemies  judge  whether  they  are  not  better 
men  and  women  when  Jesus  has  renewed  them.  If  Jesus 
saves  a  sinner,  he  does  not  mind  all  men  testing  the 
change.  Jesus  does  not  seek  display,  but  he  seeks  ex- 
amination from  those  able  to  judge.  Our  converts  will 
bear  the  test.  Come  hither,  angels  !  Come  hither,  pure 
intelligences,  able  to  observe  men  in  secret  !  Here  is  a 
wretch  of  a  sinner  Avho  came  hither  this  morning.  He 
seemed  first  cousin  to  the  devil ;  but  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  has  converted  him  and  changed  him.     Now  look 


34  THE  LORD  AND    THE  LEPER, 

at  him,  ye  angels  ;  look  at  him  at  home  in  his  chamber  ? 
Watch  him  in  private  life.  We  can  read  your  verdict. 
^'  There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over 
one  sinner  that  reponteth  ; "  and  this  proves  what  you 
think.  It  is  such  a  wonderful  change,  and  angels  are 
so  sure  of  it,  that  they  give  their  certificates  at  once. 
How  do  they  give  their  certificates  %  Why,  each  one 
manifests  his  joy  as  he  sees  the  sinner  turning  from  his 
sinful  ways.  Oh,  that  the  angels  might  have  work  of 
this  kind  to  do  this  morning  !  Dear  hearer,  may  you  be 
one  over  whom  they  rejoice  !  If  thou  belie  vest  on  Jesus 
Christ,  and  if  thou  wilt  trust  him,  as  the  sent  One  of  God, 
fully  and  entirely  with  thy  soul,  he  will  make  thee  cleauc 
Behold  him  on  the  cross,  and  see  sin  put  away.  Behold 
him  risen  from  the  dead,  and  see  new  life  bestowed.  Be- 
hold him  enthroned  in  power,  and  see  evil  conquered.  I 
am  ready  to  be  bound  for  my  Lord,  to  be  his  surety, 
that  if  thou,  my  hearer,  wilt  come  to  him,  he  will  make 
thee  clean.  Believe  thy  Saviour,  and  thy  cure  is 
wrought.     God  help  thee,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake !  Ameno 


II. 

HOLDING   FAST   THE   FAITH. 

Fehruary  5,  1888. 

''  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pcrgamos  write  :  These  things 
saith  he  which  hath  the  sliarj)  sword  with  two  edges;  I  know  thy 
works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is:  and 
thou  holdest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith."— Reve- 
lation 11.  12,  13. 

Your  attention  will  be  principallj  asked  to  these  words 
— ^^Thou  holdest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my 
faith.'' 

Specially  note,  dear  friends,  at  the  opening  of  this 
morning's  meditation,  the  character  under  which  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  presents  himself  to  the  church  at  Per- 
gamos.  ^'  These  things  saith  he  which  hath  the  sharp 
sword  with  two  edges."  Does  the  Lord  Jesus  come  to 
his  church  in  that  way  ?  Does  he  at  the  door  of  the 
church  bear  a  sword  ?  a  sword  unscabbarded  f  a  sharp 
sword  !  a  sharp  sword  with  two  edges  ?  Yes,  even  to 
his  visible  church  this  is  how  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ap- 
pears. To  his  own  spiritual  and  faithful  ones  he  is  to 
each  one  a  husband,  full  of  unutterable  tenderness  and 
love ;  but  to  the  visible  church,  which  at  its  best  estate 
is  never  altogether  pure,  he  appears  in  severer  form.  To 
a  church  he  comes  as  Captain  of  the  Lord's  host,  and  he 
wields  a  sharp  sword  with  two  edges.  It  is  the  parallel 
of  that   passage  where   John   the   Baptist  saith   of  him  : 

(35) 


36  HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH. 

"  His  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  throughly  purge  his 
floor,  and  he  will  gather  his  wheat  into  his  garner  ;  but 
he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire."  That 
winnowing  fan  is  never  out  of  his  hand,  for  it  is  always 
needed.  Even  though  our  Lord  is  full  of  grace,  he  is 
also  full  of  truth.  His  love  to  his  servants  manifests  it- 
self in  a  burning  jealousy  which  will  not  endure  evil. 
"  He  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver  :  and  he 
shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and 
silver."  We  think  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  as  a  joy 
and  a  blessing  ;  but,  oh,  remember  that  question,  *^But 
who  may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming  %  and  v/ho  shall 
stand  when  he  appeareth  f  The  Lord  bears  the  sword, 
and  he  beareth  it  not  in  vain.  Time  has  not  blunted  its 
edge,  it  is  '^  sharp  ; "  and  it  hath  two  edges,  as  of  old. 

But  what  will  he  do  with  that  sword  in  reference  to  a 
church  %  We  are  not  left  in  any  doubt  upon  that  point. 
Having  mentioned  some  whose  doctrines  and  lives  were 
unclean,  the  Lord  says,  "  Repent ;  or  else  I  will  couie 
unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the 
sword  of  my  mouth."  He  turns  the  sword  against  those 
within  the  church  who  had  no  right  to  be  there.  It  is  no 
trifling  thing  to  be  a  church  member.  I  could  earnestly 
wish  that  certain  professors  had  never  been  m.embers  of 
a  church  at  all ;  for  if  they  had  been  outside  the  church, 
they  might  have  been  in  far  less  peril  than  they  are 
within  its  bounds.  Outside  their  conduct  might  have 
been  tolerated  5  but  it  is  not  consistent  with  an  avowal 
of  discipleship  towards  Jesus.  I  say  this  with  deep  sor- 
row. 0  false  professors,  you  may  go  down  to  heU  readily 
enough  without  increasing  your  damnation  by  coming  in- 
to Christ's  church  with  a  lie  in  your  right  hand,  Alas 
for  those  who  are  not  Christians  in  heart,  and  yet  profess 


HOLDING  FAST   THE   FAITH.  37 

to  Lc  SO  !  Such  ouglit  to  be  startled  by  the  vision  of  the 
Lord  himself  drawing  near  to  a  church  with  a  sharp 
sword  in  his  hand.  Surely,  ^^  The  sinners  in  Zion  are 
afraid  ;  fearfulncss  hath  surprised  the  hypocrites." 

Yet  is  there  comfort  to  the  sincere  in  this  glorious  man 
of  war.  lie  will  smite  those  who  are  the  enemies  of  his 
lioly  cause,  but  he  will  also  beat  off  those  who  attack  his 
people  from  without.  His  sword  is  for  the  defence  of 
the  faithful.  It  is  drawn  from  its  sheath  to  protect  the 
timid  and  the  trembling.  Jesus  is  come  as  our  Joshua^ 
to  chase  the  enemy  before  us,  and  lead  us  onward,  con- 
quering and  to  conquer.  The  sword  w^ith  two  edges  is 
the  defender  of  the  least  of  those  wdiose  hearts  are  right 
before  the  Lord.  I  introduce  the  subject  as  the  Spirit 
himself  introduces  it.  I  would  make  the  sermon  sweet 
to  the  saints,  but  the  preface  must  needs  be  sharp,  lest 
any  seize  upon  comforts  to  which  they  have  no  right. 
The  Paschal  Lamb  is  always  to  be  eaten  wdth  bitter  herbs: 
those  bitter  herbs  I  have  set  upon  the  table.  The  name 
of  Jesus,  which  is  the  song  of  angels  and  the  treasure  of 
saints,  has  terror  in  it  to  those  who  refuse  him ;  for  he 
w^ho  bears  that  name  shall  judge  the  quick  and  dead,  and 
pronounce  condemnation  on  the  unrighteous. 

Notice  that  this  blessed  Saviour  watches  his  church 
w^ith  an  observant  eve.  He  looks  at  the  church  in  Per- 
gamos,  and  he  says,  '^  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou 
dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is."  The  Lord  sees  the 
position  and  the  peril  of  the  church  at  Pergamos,  ^' where 
Satan  dwelleth."  Probably  there  Avere  horrible  idolatries, 
with  obscene  orgies,  in  the  city,  or  it  may  have  been  a 
place  of  peculiar  licentiousness,  or  of  special  persecution. 
We  cannot  at  this  distance  of  time  exactly  tell  what  it 
was  ;  but   the  Lord  regarded  it  as  the   citadel  of  Satan. 


38  HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH. 

There  are  places  In  the  world  at  this  day  where  sin  has 
so  much  the  upper  hand,  or  where  error  and  unbelief 
reign  so  supreme,  that  the  devil  would  seem  to  have  there 
taken  up  his  residence,  and  to  have  made  it  his  capital 
city.  This  is  a  trying  neighborhood  for  a  church  of 
Christ,  and  yet  it  is  the  place  where  it  is  most  wanted, 
You,  dear  friend,  may  be  living  in  society  where  the  evil 
one  rules  with  undisputed  sway.  You  are  not  favored  to 
dwell  with  your  fellow  Christians,  but  you  go  home  to  be 
met  with  blasphemies  at  the  door  ;  and  all  the  week 
sights  and  sounds  assail  your  eyes  and  ears  which  make 
you  feel  like  Lot  in  Sodom.  I  am  sorry  for  you  *,  but 
let  it  comfort  you  that  your  Lord  knows  all  about  it,  and 
he  can  either  remove  you  from  the  trying  position,  or 
else  he  can  still  more  glorify  his  grace  by  supporting  you 
in  it,  and  enabling  you  to  overcome  the  enemy.  lie 
knows  that  ^'  Satan  desires  to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift 
you  as  wheat  5 "  and  he  prays  for  you  that  your  faith  fail 
not.  He  knows  your  perils,  and  he  considers  your  trials. 
Right  weU  he  perceives  the  way  in  which  Satan  woidd 
first  mislead  you,  and  then  accuse  you.  The  subtlety  of 
the  old  serpent  he  understands.  He  sees  your  struggles, 
your  failures  and  your  desperate  endeavors  to  hold  fast 
the  faith.  He  knows  how  at  night  you  are  grieved  as 
you  make  confession  before  him  of  your  shortcomings ; 
but  he  knows  also  the  peculiar  circumstances  in  which 
you  are  placed,  and  he  judges  you  in  great  mercy.  If 
you  are  holding  fast  his  name  and  have  not  denied  the 
faith,  even  iliat  may  be  to  him  a  surer  proof  of  your  truth' 
fiUness  of  heart  than  works  of  labor  and  patience  might 
be  in  other  instances.  You  have  borne  fewer  clusters 
than  another  vine,  but  Jesus  knows  that  you  grow  in  a 
very  barren  bit  of  ground,  and  he  thinks  well  of  j^our  lit- 


HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH.  39 

tie  fruit.     Your  clay's. work  docs  not  look  mucli  when 
it  is  done,  but  when  horses  plough  a  rock  so  hard  that  it 
breaks  the  ploughshare^  no  husbandman  expects  so  much 
to  be  done  as  when   a  light  loam  has  to  be  gently  turned 
over.     The  Lord  Jesus  takes   all   our  surroundings  into 
consideration,   and  though  he  loves   us  too  well  to  make 
excuse  for  our  sins,  yet  he  himself  mentions  the  circum- 
stances which  make   our  act  to   be  rather  failure  than 
fault,  even  as  he  did  for  the  first  disciples  when  he  found 
them  asleep,  and  he   said,   ^'  The  spirit  truly  is  Avilling, 
but  the  flesh  is  weak."     0  dear  children  of  God,  if  you 
are  placed  in  positions  of  pecidiar  trial  and  difficidty,  and 
if  your  hindrances  are   so   many  that  you  cannot  accom- 
plish one-tenth   as  much   as   you  desire,  then  hear  how 
Jesus  puts  it  :   ''I  know  where  thou  dwellest,  even  Avhere 
Satan's  seat  is."     If  you  are   faithful  to  your   Lord,  and 
firm  in  his  truth,  he   will   commend  you  and  say,    "  Yet 
thou  boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith." 
I  wonder  whether  this  word  of  comfort  is  meant  for  some- 
body here,  or  for  some  friend  who  will  read  the  sermon. 
I  feel  that  it  must  be  so.     Many  of  our  Lord's  beloved  ones 
are,   in   God's   sight,   now  doing  much  more,   under  dis- 
tressing circumstances,  than  they  used  to  do  in  happier 
days.     When  they   had  ten   pomuls  entrusted   to   them, 
they  brought   in   two  by  way  of  interest ;  and  now  that 
they  have  only  one  pound,  they  bring  in  one  pound  of 
interest :  thus   you  see  that  they  produce  a  far  larger 
percentage  than  they  used  to  do ;  and  this  is  the  Lord's 
way  of  calculating,   for   it  is  according  to  righteousness. 
When  we  have  little  strength,  and  are  placed  in  positions 
of  great  difficulty,  then  the  Lord  thinks  all  the  more  of 
what  we  produce,  and  regards  it  as  all  the  surer  proof  of 
fidelity.     In  the  text  it  is  commendation  enough  for  Per- 


40  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

gamos,  under  tlie  circumstances  that,  dwelling  so  close  to 
Beelzebub's  own  capital,  close  under  the  shadow  of  the 
throne  of  hell,  that  church  could  earn  this  praise  :  "Thou 
boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith." 

Let  us  give  earnest  attention  to  this  commendation. 
Oh,  that  we  may  earn  it  ourselves  ;  and  if  we  have  al- 
ready earned  it,  may  we  be  helped  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
hold  it  fast,  so  that  no  man  take  our  crown  ! 

I.  The  first  head  will  be,  let  us  consider  this  fact. 
I  hope  it  is  a  fact  with  many  here  present  as  surely  as  it 
was  a  fact  with  Pergamos.  I  trust  it  can  be  said  of  this 
church  and  of  its  members — "  Thou  boldest  fast  my  name, 
and  hast  not  denied  my  faith." 

Notice,  dear  friends,  that  tlie  name  of  Christ  is  here 
made  to  he  identical  ivitli  the  faith  of  Christ.  "  Thou 
boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith." 
The  faith  of  Scripture  has  Christ  for  its  centre,  Christ 
for  its  circumference,  and  Christ  for  its  substance.  The 
name — that  is,  the  person,  the  character,  the  work,  the 
teaching  of  Christ — this  is  the  faith  of  Christians.  The 
great  doctrines  of  the  gospel  are  all  intimately  connected 
with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself :  they  are  the  rays, 
and  he  is  the  sun.  We  never  hold  the  faith  correctly 
except  as  we  see  the  Lord  Jesus  to  be  the  centre  of  it. 
From  our  election  onward  to  our  glorification,  Christ  is 
all  and  in  all.  To  the  Jews  the  law  was  never  in  its 
proper  place  until  it  was  laid  in  the  ark,  and  covered 
wdth  the  mercy  seat ;  and  I  am  sure  believers  never  see 
the  law  aright  till  they  see  it  fulfilled  in  Christ  Jesus. 
If  it  be  so  with  the  law,  how  much  more  is  it  so  with  the 
gospel  ?  The  gospel  is  the  gold  ring,  but  Christ  Jesus  is 
the  diamond  which  is  set  in  it.  Jesus  is  the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith  :  he  is  the  sum  and  substance,  the  top 


HOLDING   FAST   THE  FAITH.  41 

and  bottom  of  it.  When  we  hold  fast  the  name  of  our 
Lord,  then  we  have  not  denied  the  faith. 

Hut  how  may  the  faith  be  denied  f  In  several  ways 
this  may  be  done.  Let  me  say  it  very  tenderly,  but 
very  solemnly,  some  deny  the  faith,  and  let  go  the  name 
of  Jesus  by  never  confessing  it,  Kemember  how  the  Lord 
.  puts  this  matter  in  the  gospels  :  ^'  Whosoever  shall  con- 
fess me  before  men,  him  shall  the  Son  of  man  also  con- 
fess before  the  angels  of  God  ;  but  he  that  denieth  me 
before  men  shall  be  denied  before  the  angels  of  God." 
Here  it  is  clear  that  to  deny  is  the  same  thing  as  not  con- 
fessing, I  know  people  who  almost  boast  of  their  neutral- 
ity. They  say,  "  I  hold  my  tongue.  Though  the  con- 
flict should  lie  between  Christ  and  Belial,  yet  I  would  go 
quietly  on  and  never  involve  myself."  Say  you  so  ? 
Then  permit  me  to  remind  you  of  oui'  Lord's  own  words. 
"  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me  ;  and  he  that 
gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth  abroad."  Again  he  says, 
^^  Whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  cross  and  come  after  me, 
cannot  be  my  disciple."  This  text  must  bear  hard  upon 
those  who  have  tried  not  exactly  to  hold  wdth  the  hare 
and  run  with  the  hounds,  but  neither  to  hold  with  the  hare 
nor  yet  to  run  with  the  hounds.  These  have  hoped  to 
find  in  their  discretion  the  better  part  of  valor ;  but,  be- 
lieve me,  it  is  a  valor  which  wdll  be  rewarded  wdth  ever- 
lasting contempt.  This  way  you  hope  to  lead  an  easy 
life.  An  easy  life  of  such  a  kind  will  end  in  a  very  un= 
easy  death.  A  life  in  which  w^e  have  shmmed  the  cross 
of  Christ  wdll  lead  to  a  state  in  which  we  shall  miss  the 
crown  of  glory. 

Christ  is  also  denied  by  false  doctrine.  If  we  espouse 
error  as  to  his  person,  work,  or  doctrine,  and  believe 
what  Jesus  did  not  teach,  and  refuse  to  believe  w^hat 


42  HOLDING   FAST  THE  FAITH. 

Jesus  did  teach,  then  we  have  denied  his  name  and  his 
faith.  One  of  the  main  points  of  a  Christian,  without 
which  the  rest  of  his  life  will  not  be  acceptable  Avith  God, 
is  that  Jesus  shall  be  to  him  ^'  the  way,  the  truth,  and 
the  life."  The  practical,  the  doctrinal,  the  experimental 
must  all  be  found  by  us  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  or  else 
we  have  not  placed  him  in  his  right  position ;  and  we 
cannot  be  right  anywhere  unless  the  centre  is  right,  and 
unless  Jesus  is  that  centre.  God  grant  that  we  may 
never  turn  aside  from  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to 
the  saints ;  but  may  we  resist  all  false  philosophies, 
steadfast  and  immovable ! 

But  then  it  is  very  possible  to  deny  the  name  and  the 
faith  hj  unlwhj  living.  Let  none  of  us  imagine  that  an 
orthodox  creed  can  be  of  any  use  to  us  if  we  lead 
a  heterodox  life.  No,  Christ  Jesus  is  to  be  obeyed  as  a 
]\Iaster,  as  well  as  to  be  believed  as  a  Teacher.  The 
disciple  is  to  be  practically  obedient,  as  well  as  attentively 
teachable.  *^  Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord."  The  apostle  Paul  somewhere  says,  ^^  He  that 
careth  not  for  his  own  household  hath  denied  the  faith, 
and  is  worse  than  an  infidel  (or  unbeliever)  ; "  so  that  a 
moral  faidt  may  be  a  denial  of  the  faith,  and  may  make  a 
man  worse  than  if  he  had  never  professed  to  believe  at  all, 
God  save  us  from  an  unholy  life  ! 

Alas !  we  can  deny  the  faith  hj  aduaJly  forsaJdng  ifj 
and  quitting  the  people  of  God.  Some  do  so  deliberately, 
and  others  because  the  charms  of  the  world  overcome 
them.  We  are  told  of  some  who  went  away  from  our 
Lord  because  of  Avhat  he  had  taught.  They  cried,  ''This 
is  a  hard  saying ;  who  can  hear  it  ?  "  My  friends,  if  you 
are  not  prepared  to  accept  hard  sayings,  you  need  not 
profess  to  be  disciples  of  Jesus,     "  Horrible  doctrine  1" 


HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH.  43 

cried  one  tlie  other  day.  Granted  that  it  is  horrible, 
may  it  not  also  be  true  ?  Many  horrible  things  take  place 
around  us,  and  yet  none  can  deny  the  facts.  You  can- 
not exclude  from  your  knowledge  many  things  whicli  are 
true  by  merely  crying  ''  Horrible  !  "  It  is  not  ours  to 
judge  of  our  Lord's  teaching  by  our  sentiment,  we  are  to 
receive  it  by  faith.  He  speaks  terribly  of  the  doom  of 
the  wicked,  and  he  is  not  capable  of  exaggeration.  What 
the  Lord  Jesus  says  is  certain,  for  "  he  is  the  faithfid  and 
true  witness,"  and  therefore  we  will  not  turn  from  him, 
whate-er  his  teaching  may  be.  Oh  for  grace  to  per- 
severe to  the  end  !  Oh  for  fidelity  and  constancy,  so 
that  neither  gain  nor  loss,  exaltation  nor  depression,  may 
mduce  us  to  quit  our  Saviour !  Let  us  hold  fast  his 
sacred  name,  and  never  deny  the  faith,  come  what  may. 
May  the  Holy  Spirit  hold  us  fast,  that  we  may  hold  fast 
the  name  of  Jesus  ! 

1)1  what  way  may  ive  he  said  to  holdfast  the  name  of 
Christ  and  the  faith  of  Christ  f  I  answer,  hij  the  full  con- 
sent of  our  intellect^  yielding  up  our  mind  to  consider  and 
accept  the  things  which  are  assuredly  believed  among  us. 
We  hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  and  accept  what- 
soever God  has  revealed,  because  he  has  revealed  it. 
Our  motto  is,  ^^  Let  God  be  true,  but  every  man  a  liar." 

When  Christ  speaks,  we  assent  with  our  minds  and 
consent  with  oui'  hearts  to  all  he  declares. 

If  we  hold  fast  the  name  of  Jesus,  we  must  hold  the 
faith  in  the  love  of  it.  We  must  store  up  in  our  aifections 
all  that  our  Lord  teaches.  His  words  are  found,  and  we 
do  eat  them,  they  are  as  honey  to  the  taste.  Let  Jesus 
speak,  and  I  will  reply,  •"  Yea,  Lord,  thou  sayest  it  is  so, 
and  I  know  it  is  so.  I  consent  to  thy  teaching,  and  from 
my  soul  I  love  thee,  and  accept  all  that  thou  dost  reveal." 


44  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

For  the  doctrines  revealed  in  Holy  Scripture  the  true 
believer  would  live  or  die.  This  love  of  the  heart  is  that 
which  causes  us  to  hold  fast  the  name  of  Christ. 

We  also  hold  it  fast  hy  holding  it  forth  in  the  teeth  of 
all  opposition.  We  must  confess  the  faith  at  all  proper 
times  and  seasons,  and  we  must  never  hide  our  colors. 
There  are  times  when  we  must  dash  to  the  front  and 
court  the  encounter,  when  we  see  that  our  Captain's  hon- 
or demands  it.  Let  us  never  be  either  ashamed  or  afraid. 
Our  Lord  Jesus  deserves  that  we  should  yield  ourselves 
as  willing  sacrifices  in  defence  of  his  faith.  Ease,  repu- 
tation, life  itself,  must  go  for  the  name  and  faith  of  Jesus. 
If  in  the  heat  of  the  battle  our  good  name  or  our  life  must 
be  risked  to  win  the  victory,  then  let  us  say,  ^'  In  this 
battle  some  of  us  must  fall ;  why  shoidd  not  I  ?  I  will 
take  part  and  lot  with  my  Master,  and  bear  reproach  for 
his  sake."  Only  brave  soldiers  are  worthy  of  our  great 
Lord.  Those  who  sneak  into  the  rear,  that  they  may  be 
comfortable,  are  not  worthy  of  the  kingdom.  What  will 
our  Captain  say  of  cowards  in  that  day  v>dien  he  distrib- 
utes rewards  to  his  faithful  ones  ?  Brethren,  we  must 
be  willing  to  bear  ridicide  for  Christ's  sake,  even  that 
peculiarly  envenomed  ridicule  which  ^'  the  cidtured"  are 
so  apt  to  pour  upon  us.  We  must  be  willing  to  be  thought 
great  fools  for  Jesus'  sake.  Some  of  us  have  forgotten 
more  than  many  of  our  opponents  ever  knew,  and  yet 
they  style  us  ignorant ;  we  are  bearing  shame  because 
we  have  the  courage  of  our  convictions,  and  yet  they  call 
us  cowards.  For  my  part,  I  am  willing  to  be  ten  thous- 
and fools  in  one  for  my  dear  Lord  and  Master,  and  count 
it  to  be  the  highest  honor  that  can  be  put  upon  me  to  be 
stripped  of  every  honor,  and  loaded  with  every  censure 
for  the  sake  of  the  grand  old  truth  which  is  written  on  my 


HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH.  45 

very  heart.  Those  ships  which  sail  with  Jesus  as  their 
Lord  High  Admiral  must  look  for  tempests :  for  his 
Larquc  was  filled  with  the  waves,  and  began  to  sink. 
Doth  that  man  love  his  Lord  who  would  be  willing  to  see 
Jesus  wearing  a  crown  of  thorns,  while  for  himself  he 
craves  a  chaplet  of  laurel  %  Shall  Jesus  ascend  to  his 
throne  by  the  cross,  and  do  we  expect  to  be  carried  there 
on  the  shoulders  of  applauding  crowds  %  Be  not  so  vain 
in  your  imagination.  Count  you  the  cost,  and  if  you  are 
not  willing  to  bear  Christ's  cross,  go  away  to  your  farm 
and  to  your  merchandise,  and  make  the  most  of  them  ; 
only  let  me  whisper  this  in  your  ear,  ^'  What  shall  it 
profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own 
soul  %  '^ 

II.  In  the  second  place,  having  considered  the  fact, 

LET  us  FURTHER  ENLARGE  UPON  IT. 

What  do  we  mean  by  holding  fast  the  name  of  Christ  % 
I  reply,  first,  we  mean  liolding  fast  the  Deitij  of  that  name. 
We  believe  in  our  Lord's  real  Godhead.  "  His  name 
shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty  God." 
One  of  the  names  by  wdiich  he  is  revealed  to  us  is  Im- 
manuel.  The  word  "  El "  is  one  of  the  great  Oriental 
names  of  God.  You  get  in  Hebrew  Elohim,  and  in  Ara- 
bic ^^  Allah."  Our  Lord  Jesus  is  Immanu-c/,  that  is, 
God  with  us  ;  and  we  believe  him  to  be  so.  He  is  as 
truly  man  as  any  one  among  us  ;  born  of  a  virgin  w^ith- 
out  taint  of  original  sin.  But  he  is  also  most  surely  God 
without  the  least  diminution  of  the  perfections  and  glories 
of  Godhead.  We  put  our  finger  into  the  print  of  the 
nails,  but  as  we  do  so  we  cry,  ''  My  Lord,  and  my  God." 
"•  Let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  him."  '^  At  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow,  of  things  in  heaven, 
and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth ;  and 


40  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

every  tongue  shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father.*^  We  can  never  give  up 
our  belief  m  the  Godhead  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  but  we 
must  and  will  hold  fast  the  faith  of  the  Deity  of  Christ. 

We  also  hold  fast  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  the  faith  of 
Jesus,  as  to  the  royalty  of  his  name.  He  was  born  King 
of  the  Jews,  and  he  is  also  ^'  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 
lords."  That  v/hich  Pilate  wrote  over  his  cross  is  true 
— "•  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews  "  j  but 
God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  made  him  to  have 
dominion  over  all  the  works  of  his  hands.  The  Father 
hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son.  He  shall 
put  down  all  ride,  and  all  authority,  and  power,  for  he 
must  reign  till  he  hath  put  all  enemies  mider  his  feet. 
*^  The  Lord  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever :  Hallelujah  "  ! 
When  we  bow  the  knee  in  prayer,  and  say,  "  Thy  king- 
dom come,"  we  mean  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  we  mean 
also  the  kingdom  of  Christ  Jesus.  He  it  is  that  as  a 
Lamb  is  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  where  samts  and 
angels  pay  adoring  homage.  Soon  shall  the  seventh 
angel  sound  his  trumpet,  and  great  voices  shall  be  heard 
in  heaven,  saying,  '^  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ ; 
and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever."  0  Jesus,  we 
bow  before  thee  !  "  Just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou 
King  of  saints."  He  reigns  in  our  hearts  over  the  triple 
kingdom  of  our  nature.  He  is  King  in  our  families  ; 
we  desire  to  see  him  King  in  this  city,  King  in  this 
nation,  King  over  all  the  earth ;  and  we  shall  never  be 
satisfied  till,  with  all  the  redeemed  of  our  race,  we  crown 
Mm  Lord  of  all.  We  hold  fast  the  royalty  of  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

Moreover,  we  believe  in  the  grandeur  of  that  name,  as 


HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH.  47 

being  the  first  and  the  last.  Open  the  New  Testament, 
and  read  the  first  verse  of  Matthew.  How  does  it  begin? 
"'  The  book  of  the  generation  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
David."  The  book  of  the  New  Covenant  besrins  with 
Jesus.  Now  look  at  the  last  verse,  see  how  the  Testa- 
ment ends  :  ^^  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  you  all.  Amen."  Jesus  Christ  appears  in  the  first 
verse,  and  he  appears  in  the  last  verse.  Did  he  not  say, 
'-'-  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
ending  "  %  The  first  line  of  the  covenant  of  grace  is 
Jesus  Christ ;  the  last  line  of  the  covenant  of  grace  is 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  all  in  between  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Begin  with  him  as  A,  go  right  through  to  B,  C,  D,  E,  F, 
and  so  on  till  you  end  with  Z,  and  it  is  all  Christ  Jesus.  He 
is  all ;  yea  he  is  all  in  all.  Oh  what  blessings  have  come 
to  us  through  Jesus  Christ !  Through  his  name  we  have 
received  remission  of  sins,  in  his  name  we  are  justified, 
in  his  name  we  are  sanctified,  in  his  name  we  shall  be 
glorified,  even  as  in  him  we  were  chosen  from  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world.  My  tongue  can  never  tell  you 
even  the  commencement  of  his  greatness.  Who  shall 
declare  his  generation  ?  The  fringe,  the  hem  of  his  in- 
finite glories,  who  can  touch  %  He  is  unspeakable.  As 
for  his  glory,  I  may  say,  '''•  0  Lord  our  Lord,  how  excel- 
lent is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth  !  who  hast  set  thy  glory 
above  the  heavens."  All  glory  and  honor  be  unto  him  in 
whom  are  comprehended  all  the  blessings  whereby  God 
hath  enriched  his  people  in  time  and  in  eternity. 

We  hold  fast  the  name  of  Christ  as  we  believe  in  its 
saving  power.  ^^  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus  :  for  he 
shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins."  We  hold  fast  the 
belief  that  Jesus  saves  us  from  the  guilt  of  sin  by  having 
borne  it  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.     We  are  assured 


48  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

that  he  makes  us  just  before  God  by  that  righteousness 
of  hisj  which  is  ours,  because  we  are  one  with  him.  He 
saves  us  from  the  punishment  of  sin  because  "  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  upon  him."  He  died  as  a  vic- 
tim in  our  stead.  He  saves  us  from  the  power  of  sin  by 
his  Spirit,  and  by  faith  in  his  death  :  we  overcome  sin  by 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Salvation  in  every  department, 
salvation  from  its  hopeful  dawning  to  its  glorious  noontide 
in  perfection,  is  all  of  Christ  Jesus.  He  is  Saviour,  and 
he  alone.  ^'  There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven 
given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  He  is 
the  unique  Saviour,  there  is  no  other  possible  salvation 
now  or  in  the  world  to  come.  Believest  thou  in  Christ  ? 
Then  thou  hast  salvation.  "•  But  he  that  believeth  not 
shall  be  damned."  Pronoimce  the  word  hard  or  soft  as 
thou  wilt,  it  will  come  to  the  same  thing  in  the  end— thou 
shalt  be  condemned,  and  condemned  hopelessly,  if  thou 
believest  not  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  sole  propitiation  for 
the  sins  of  men.  This  we  hold  fast.  I  know  you  are 
established  in  these  truths,  my  beloved,  and  you  mean  to 
hold  them  as  long  as  you  breathe,  and  not  to  deny  the 
faith  which  the  Lord  himself  has  delivered  to  you. 

Once  more,  we  hold  fast  this  name  in  its  immutability. 
We  are  told  to-day  that  this  is  an  age  of  progress,  and 
therefore  we  must  accept  an  improved  gospel.  Every 
man  is  to  be  his  own  lawyer,  and  every  man  his  own 
saviour.  We  are  getting  on  in  the  direction  of  every 
man  putting  away  his  own  sin,  just  as  every  chimney 
should  consume  its  own  smoke.  But,  dear  friends,  we 
do  not  believe  these  idle  dreams.  We  want  no  new  gos- 
pel, no  modern  salvation.  Our  conviction  is  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever." 
The  way  that  Paul  v\^ent  to  heaven  is  good  enough  for  me. 


HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH.  49 

"The  way  tlic  holy  prophets  weut, 
The  road  that  lead  from  banishmeut," 

is  broad  enough  and  safe  enough  for  me.  When  I  re- 
member my  dear  brethren  and  sisters  in  Christ  who 
have  fallen  asleep,  whom  I  saw  die  with  triumph  lighting 
up  their  faces,  I  feel  quite  content  with  the  salvation 
which  saved  them,  and  I  am  not  going  to  try  experiments 
or  speculations.  To  talk  of  improving  upon  our  perfect 
Saviour  is  to  insult  him.  He  is  God's  propitiation  ;  what 
would  you  more  %  My  blood  boils  with  indignation  at 
the  idea  of  improving  the  gospel.  There  is  but  one  Sa- 
viour, and  that  one  Savioar  is  the  same  for  ever.  His 
doctrine  is  the  same  in  every  age,  and  is  not  yea  and 
nay.  What  a  strange  result  we  should  obtain  in  the  gen- 
eral assembly  of  heaven  if  some  were  saved  by  the  gos- 
pel of  the  first  century,  and  others  by  the  gospel  of  the 
second,  and  others  by  the  gospel  of  the  seventeenth,  and 
others  by  the  gospel  of  the  nineteenth  century !  Vv"e 
should  need  a  different  song  of  praise  for  the  clients  of 
these  various  periods,  and  the  mingled  chorus  would  be 
rather  to  the  glory  of  man's  culture  than  to  the  praise 
of  the  one  Lord.  No  such  mottled  heaven,  and  no 
such  discordant  song,  shall  ever  be  produced.  There  is 
one  church  and  one  Saviour.  We  believe  in  one  Lord, 
one  faith,  and  one  baptism.  To  eternal  glory  there  is  but 
one  way  ;  to  walk  therein  we  must  hold  fast  one  truth, 
and  be  quickened  by  one  life.  We  stand  fast  by  the 
unaltered,  unalterable,  eternal  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.  This  is  what  v/e  mean  by  holding  fast  the  n5:me 
and  the  faith  of  Jesus. 

IIL  Thirdly,  dear  friends,  to  lead  you  a  step  further 
in  the  same  road,  let  me  show  the  practical  place 
OF  Tiii:  i:ame  and  of  the  faith  with  us. 


50  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAI7H. 

The  practical  place  of  it  is  this  :  first  of  all,  it  is  our 
personal  comfort — 

*'  Jesus,  the  name  that  charms  oiir  fears, 
That  bids  our  sorrows  cease  ; 
'Tis  music  in  the  sinner's  ears, 
'Tis  life,  and  health,  and  peace." 

The  faith  which  we  hold  is  our  daily  and  hourly  joy  and 
hope.  The  doctrines  which  I  believe  in  connection  with 
the  divine  Person  in  whom  I  trust  are  the  pillow  of  my 
weariness,  the  anodyne  of  my  care,  the  rest  of  my  spirit. 
Jesus  gives  me  a  look-out  for  years  to  come  which  is 
celestial,  and  at  the  same  time  I  can  look  back  with 
thankfulness  on  the  years  which  are  past.  For  all 
time  the  Lord  Jesus  is  our  heart's  content.  Nothing  can 
separate  us  from  his  love,  and  therefore  nothing  can  de- 
prive us  of  our  confident  hope.  Through  this  blessed 
name  and  this  blessed  faith  believers  are  themselves 
made  glad  and  strong.  On  the  name  of  Jesus  we  feed, 
and  in  that  name  we  wrap  ourselves.  It  is  strength  for 
our  weakness,  yea,  life  for  our  death. 

And  then,  dear  friends,  this  name,  this  faith,  these  are 
our  message.  Our  only  business  here  below  is  to  cry, 
"  Behold  the  Lamb."  Are  any  of  you  sent  of  God  with 
any  other  message  ?  It  cannot  be.  The  one  message 
which  Grod  has  given  to  his  people  to  proclaim  is  salva- 
tion through  the  Lamb — salvation  by  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
It  is  by  his  blood  that  cleansing  comes  to  the  polluted. 
He  is  the  one  great  Propitiation.  To  tell  of  Jesus  is  our 
occupation,  we  ha^e  nothing  to  say  which  is  not  com- 
prised in  the  revelation  made  to  us  by  God  in  Christ 
Jesus.  He  who  is  our  one  comfort  is  also  our  one 
theme. 


HOLDING  FAST   THE  FAITH.  51 

He  also  is  our  divine  cmtliority  for  holy  work.  We 
preach  the  gospel  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
If  we  preached  it  in  any  other  name  men  would  have  a 
right  to  reject  it.  If  the  spiritual  sick  are  healed,  it  is 
his  name  which  makes  them  strong.  If  devils  flee  before 
us,  Ave  cast  them  out  in  his  name.  Oh,  that  we  did  more 
often  remember  that  all  our  teaching  and  preaching  must 
be  done  in  the  name  of  Jesus  !  In  his  name  we  gather 
for  worship,  in  his  name  we  go  forth  to  service.  If  we 
go  in  our  own  name  we  go  in  vain  ;  but  if  we  are  ambas- 
sadors for  God,  as  though  he  did  beseech  men  by  us, 
then  we  pray  them  in  Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled  to 
God,  and  we  are  hopeful  that  our  labors  will  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord. 

This  also  is  our poivcr  in  preaching;  indeed,  it  is  our 
power,  our  only  power  in  living  before  God.  Brethren, 
the  devil  will  never  be  cast  out  by  any  other  name — let 
us  hold  it  fast.  If  we  conjure  by  eloquence,  talent, 
music,  or  what  not,  the  evil  one  will  say,  '''  Jesus  I  know, 
and  Paul  I  know  ;  but  who  are  ye  ! "  It  is  only  his 
name  that  makes  the  legions  of  hell  quit  the  bosoms  of 
the  possessed,  and  fly  howling  down  into  the  deep. 
This  is  the  name  high  over  all ;  but  there  is  none  other 
which  hath  such  power  in  it.  Spiritual  diseases,  yea, 
death  itself,  will  yield  to  this  name.  It  is  his  name 
that  makes  Lazarus  come  forth  from  the  grave,  and  the 
young  man  sit  upright  on  the  bier.  Use  this  name,  and 
nothing  can  stand  before  you. 

I  said  that  it  is  our  power  in  life,  and  so,  indeed,  it  is. 
When  Ave  draw  near  to  God,  what  is  our  strength  where- 
with to  prevail  in  prayer  f  Is  it  not  that  we  ask  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  ?  If  you  leave  out  the  name  of  Jesus, 
what  are  your  prayers  but  a  sounding  brass  and  a  tink- 


52  •       HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

ling  cymbal  I  Prayer  mthout  the  name  of  Jesus  lias  no 
wings  with  which  to  fly  up  to  God.  This  is  that  golden 
ladder  whereby  we  climb  up  to  the  throne  of  God,  and 
take  unspeakable  precious  things  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Eternal.  That  name  prevaileth  with  God  concerning 
everything,  and  so  enables  us  to  prevail  with  man ; 
wherefore,  hold  it  fast,  and  deny  not  the  faith ;  for  what 
can  you  do  if  the  truth  and  the  name  of  Jesus  be  given 
up? 

This  name  is  our  one  lioi^e  of  victory.  As  Constantine, 
in  his  dream,  saw  the  cross,  and  took  it  for  his  em- 
blem, with  the  motto,  ^^  By  this  sign  I  conquer,"  so  to- 
day our  only  hope  of  victory  for  the  gospel  is  that  the 
cross  of  Christ  displays  it,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  is  in  it. 
His  name  is  named  on  us,  and  in  his  name  we  wiU  cast 
out  devils,  and  do  many  mighty  works,  till  his  name 
shall  be  known  and  honored  wherever  the  sun  pursues 
his  course,  or  the  moon  cheers  the  watches  of  the  night. 
.  IV.  Now,  in  closing,  I  will  urge  seasons  for  hold- 
ing FAST  THE  NAME  AND  FAITH  OF  JESUS.  I  hope  WO 
hold  it  so  fast  that  we  can  never  give  it  up  while  reason 
holds  its  throne.  There  is  an  old  Christian  legend  con- 
cerning Ignatius,  that  he  never  spoke  without  mentioning 
the  name  of  Jesus  whom  he  loved.  His  speech  seemed 
saturated  with  love  to  his  Lord,  and  when  he  died  the 
name  of  Jesus  was  found  to  be  stamped  on  his  heart. 
It  may  not  have  been  so  literally,  but  no  doubt  it  was 
true  spiritually.  The  name  of  Jesus  is,  I  hope,  written  in 
our  hearts  so  as  to  be  inseparable  from  our  lives.  What- 
ever else  may  go,  the  name  of  Jesus  can  never  depart 
from  our  thoughts.  Dying  men  have  been  knoT\Ti  to 
forget  everything  but  this.  The  man  has  forgotten  his 
wife;  his  children^  his  bosom  friend,  and  has  turned  away 


HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH.  53 

oblivious  from  tliem  all,  as  if  they  wore  strangers ;  and 
yet  when  the  name  of  Jesus  has  been  whispered  in  his 
ear,  his  eyes  have  brightened,  and  his  comitenance  has 
responded  to  that  precious  name.  0  memory,  leave  no 
other  name  than  his  recorded  upon  thy  tablets  !  Happy 
forgetfulness  which  clears  all  else  away,  but  leaves  that 
name  in  solitary  glory  ! 

That  it  may  be  so  I  will  put  the  question  thus  :  Why 
slioulcl  iv3  give  up  the  faith  f  I  fail  to  see  a  reason.  Why 
should  I  change  my  belief,  or  cease  to  hold  fast  the 
name  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord  ?  It  is  an  irrational  sug- 
gestion. "  I  am  open  to  conviction,"  said  a  man  who 
knew  his  ground,  "  I  am  open  to  conviction,  but  I 
should  like  to  see  the  man  that  could  convince  me."  I 
am  in  very  much  the  same  condition  mth  regard  to  the 
gospel  of  my  Lord  Jesus  :  I  am  open  to  conviction,  but 
I  shall  never  see  the  man  that  can  convince  me  out  of 
my  experience,  my  conviction,  my  consciousness,  my 
hope,  my  all.  Before  I  could  quit  my  faith  in  the  substi- 
tutionary work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  my  confi- 
dence in  the  everlasting  covenant  ordered  in  all  things 
and  sure,  I  should  have  to  be  ground  to  powder,  and 
every  separate  atom  transformed. 

WJioJ;  ivoiild  they  give  us  in  exchange  for  the  faith  f 
That  is  a  question  which  it  is  easy  to  ask,  but  impossible 
to  answer.  Suppose  the  doctrines  of  grace  could  be 
obliterated,  and  our  hope  could  be  taken  away,  what 
would  they  give  us  in  the  place  of  them,  either  for  this 
life  or  the  next  ?  I  have  never  seen  anything  proposed 
in  the  place  of  the  gospel  that  was  worth  considering  for 
a  second.  Have  you  ?  Uncertainty,  doubt,  glitter, 
mockery,  darkness  —  all  these  ;  but  who  wants  them  ? 
They  offer  us  either  bubbles  or  filth,  according  to  tho 


54  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

different  shade  of  tlie  speculator's  character  ;  but  we  are 
not  enamored  of  either.     We  prefer  gold  to  dross. 

Yv' e  must  defend  the  faith  ;  for  ivhat  ivoidd  have  become 
of  us  if  our  fathers  had  not  maintained  iff  If  confessors, 
reformers,  martyrs,  and  covenanters  had  been  recreant 
to  the  name  and  faith  of  Jesus,  where  would  have 
been  the  churches  of  to-day  ?  Must  we  not  play  the  man 
as  they  did  ?  If  we  do  not,  are  we  not  censuring  our 
fathers  f  It  is  very  pretty,  is  it  not,  to  read  of  Luther 
and  his  brave  deeds  ?  Of  course,  everybody  admires 
Luther  !  Yes,  yes  5  but  you  do  not  want  any  one  else  to 
do  the  same  to-day.  When  you  go  to  the  Zoological 
Gardens  you  aU  admire  the  bear ;  but  how  would  you 
like  a  bear  at  home,  or  a  bear  wandering  loose  about  the 
street  f  You  teU  me  that  it  would  be  unbearable,  and  no 
doubt  you  are  right.  So,  we  admire  a  man  who  was  firm 
in  the  faith,  say  four  hundred  years  ago  ;  the  past  ages 
are  a  sort  of  bear-pit  or  iron  cage  for  him  ;  but  such  a 
man  to-day  is  a  nuisance,  and  must  be  put  do^vn.  Call 
him  a  narrow-minded  bigot,  or  give  him  a  worse  name  if 
you  can  think  of  one.  Y^et  imagine  that  in  those  ages 
past,  Luther,  Zwingle,  Calvin,  and  their  compeers  had 
said,  "  The  world  is  out  of  order  ;  but  if  we  try  to  set  it 
right  we  shaU  only  make  a  great  row,  and  get  ourselves 
into  disgrace.  Let  us  go  to  our  chambers,  put  on  our 
night-caps,  and  sleep  over  the  bad  times',  and  perhaps 
when  we  wake  up  things  will  have  grown  better."  Such 
conduct  on  their  part  would  have  entailed  upon  us  a  her- 
itage of  error.  Age  after  age  would  have  gone  down  in- 
to the  infernal  deeps,  and  the  pestiferous  bogs  of  error 
would  have  swallowed  aU.  These  men  loved  the  faith 
and  the  name  of  Jesus  too  well  to  see  them  trampled  on. 
Note  what  we  owe  them,  and  let  us  pay  to  our  sons  the 


HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH.  55 

debt  we  owe  our  fathers.  It  Is  to-day  as  it  was  in  the 
Eeformers'  days.  Decision  is  needed.  Here  is  the  day 
for  the  man,  where  is  the  man  for  the  day  I  We  who 
have  had  the  gospel  passed  to  us  by  martyr  hands  dare 
not  trifle  with  it,  nor  sit  by  and  hear  it  denied  by  traitors, 
who  pretend  to  love  it,  but  inwardly  abhor  every  line  of 
it.  The  faith  I  hold  bears  upon  it  marks  of  the  blood  of 
my  ancestors.  Shall  I  deny  their  faith,  for  which  they 
left  their  native  land  to  sojourn  here  ?  Shall  we  cast 
away  the  treasure  which  was  handed  to  us  through  the 
bars  of  prisons,  or  came  to  us  charred  with  the  flames  of 
Smithfield  ?  Personally,  when  my  bones  have  been  tor- 
tured with  rheumatism,  I  have  remembered  Job  Spur- 
geon,  doubtless  of  my  own  stock,  who  in  Chelmsford  Jail 
was  allowed  a  chair,  because  he  could  not  Ke  down  by 
reason  of  rheumatic  pain.  That  Quaker's  broad-brim 
overshadows  my  broAV.  Perhaps  I  inherit  his  rheuma- 
tism ;  but  that  I  do  not  regret  if  I  have  his  stubborn  faith 
which  will  not  let  me  yield  a  syllable  of  the  truth  of  God. 
When  I  think  of  how  others  have  suffered  for  the  faith, 
a  little  scorn  or  mikindness  seems  a  mere  trifle,  not  worthy 
of  mention.  An  ancestry  of  lovers  of  the  faith  ought  to 
be  a  great  plea  with  us  to  abide  by  the  Lord  God  of  our 
fathers,  and  the  faith  in  which  they  lived.  As  for  me,  I 
must  hold  the  old  gospel :  I  can  do  no  other.  God  help- 
ing me,  I  will  endui'e  the  consequences  of  what  men  think 
obstinacy. 

Look  you,  sirs,  there  are  ages  yet  to  come.  If  the  Lord 
does  not  speedily  appear,  there  will  come  another  genera- 
tion, and  another,  and  all  these  generations  will  be  tainted 
and  injured  if  we  are  not  faithful  to  God  and  to  his  truth 
to-day.  We  have  come  to  a  turning-point  in  the  road. 
If  we  turn   to  the  right,  mayhap  our  children  and  our 


56  HOLDING  FAST  THE  FAITH. 

cliildren's  cliildren  will  go  that  way ;  but  if  we  turn  to 
the  left,  generations  yet  unborn  will  curse  our  names  for 
having  been  unfaithful  to  God  and  to  his  Word.  I  charge 
you,  not  only  by  youi'  ancestry,  but  by  your  posterity, 
that  you  seek  to  win  the  commendation  of  your  Master, 
that  though  you  dwell  where  Satan's  seat  is,  you  yet  hold 
fast  his  name,  and  do  not  deny  his  faith.  God  grant  us 
faithfulness,  for  the  sake  of  the  souls  around  us  !  How 
is  the  world  to  be  saved  if  the  church  is  false  to  her 
Lord  %  How  are  we  to  lift  the  masses  if  oui'  fulcrum  is 
removed  f  If  our  gospel  is  micertain,  what  remains  but 
increasing  misery  and  despair  %  Stand  fast,  my  beloved, 
in  the  name  of  God  !  I,  your  brother  in  Christ,  entreat 
you  to  abide  in  the  tj"uth.  Quit  yourselves  like  men,  be 
strong.     The  Lord  sustain  you  for  Jesus'  sake.     Amen. 


III. 

ABRAM's   call;    or,    half- WAT   AND    ALL   THE   WAT. 

February  26,  1888. 

''  And  Terali  took  Abrain  his  son,  and  Lot  tlie  son  of  Haran  liis 
son's  son,  and  Sarai  his  daughter-iu-haw,  his  son  Abram's  wife  ;  and 
they  went  forth  with  them  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  to  go  into  the 
land  of  Canaan  ;  and  they  came  unto  Haran,  and  dwelt  there." — 
Genesis  xi.  31. 

"And  Abram  took  Sarai  his  wife,  and  Lot  his  brother's  son,  and 
all  their  substance  that  they  had  gathered,  and  the  souls  that  they 
liad  gotten  in  Haran  ;  and  they  went  forth  to  go  into  the  land  of 
Canaan  ;  and  into  the  land  of  Canaan  they  came." — Genesis  xii.  5. 

After  the  flood,  when  men  began  to  multiply  and  in- 
crease in  the  earth,  it  was  not  very  long  before  they  be- 
gan to  turn  aside  from  the  living  and  true  God.  At  first 
the  sons  of  Noah  walked  in  the  light  of  divine  knowledge, 
though  even  among  them  was  found  an  evil  seed.  When 
scattered  over  the  earth  after  the  confusion  of  tongues  at 
Babel,  the  earth's  hoar  fathers  carried  with  them  a 
measure  of  the  knowledge  of  God  which  they  had  re- 
ceived from  their  sires  ;  but  after  a  while,  the  light  grew 
dim,  men  began  to  worship  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and 
they  adored  fire  as  the  mystic  symbol  of  the  mysterious 
and  spiritual  Lord.  They  sought  out  many  inventions ; 
and  having  once  begun  to  quit  their  allegiance  to  the  one 
God,  they  very  rapidly  travelled  along  the  down-grade 
tiU  they  worshipped  strange  gods.  It  was  sad  that  al- 
though the  earth  produced  its  mighty  hunters,  and  men 
built  city  after  city,  yet  few  among  them  sought  after 
God,  or  builded  altars  to  his  name.     Well  might  the  Lord 

(57) 


58  AB RAM'S   CALL. 

God  or  J  oiit^  ^^Hear,  0  heavens,  and  give  ear,  0  earth: 
I  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children,  and  thej  have 
rebelled  against  me.'^ 

A  long  period  passed  without  a  voice  from  God.  Man 
seemed  left  to  himself,  and  in  danger  of  being  given  up  to 
idols.  The  nations  wandered  each  a  different  wav,  but 
all  the  downward  road.  Yet  grace  had  not  ended  its 
reign ;  and  therefore,  before  the  lamp  of  God  had  wholly 
gone  out,  the  Lord  determined  to  reveal  himself,  and  es- 
tablish his  worship  in  the  world.  He  woidd  select  a 
familv  to  be  his  peculiar  servants  ;  he  would  manifest 
himself  to  the  father  of  that  family,  and  woidd  make  with 
him  a  covenant.  He  woidd  reveal  to  him  the  great  things 
which  he  intended  to  do  in  the  fuhiess  of  time,  and  he 
would  bid  him  hand  down  the  revelation  to  his  childi'en 
from  generation  to  generation.  This  family  should  grow 
into  a  nation,  and  to  that  nation  should  be  committed  the 
oracles  of  God.  Out  of  that  nation  shoidd  come  prophets, 
and  priests,  and  heroes,  who  should  believe  in  God  and 
maintain  the  true  faith  against  all  comers,  even  imtil  the 
Son  of  God  himself  shorJd  come  to  manifest  the  glory  of 
God  in  a  pre-eminent  degree.  In  the  midst  of  that  nation 
the  Lord  resolved  to  set  up  ordinances,  and  a  settled 
organization,  by  which  truth  shoidd  be  taught  through 
type  and  symbol,  and  by  the  hallowed  speech  of  godly 
men.  This,  in  his  wisdom,  he  judged  to  be  best  for  the 
future  of  the  race. 

In  the  -vvise  sovereignty  of  his  choice,  the  Lord  chose 
Abram  and  his  house.  He  giveth  no  accoimt  of  his  mat- 
ters, and  we  cannot,  therefore,  tell  why  he  took  out  of  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees  those  of  whom  Joshua  says,  ^^  Your  fathers 
dwelt  on  the  other  side  of  the  flood  in  old  time,  even 
Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  and  the  father  of  Xachor: 


ABRAAPS   CALL.  59 

and  they  served  other  gods."  The  Lord  called  Abram 
alone,  and  blessed  him.  lie  set  apart  the  patriarch  and 
his  seed,  and  put  thern  in  trust  with  the  priceless  treas- 
ure of  divine  revelation  :  this  they  kept  for  themselves 
and  for  the  rest  of  mankind. 

It  was  needful  that  the  elect  family  should  be  led  apart 
and  kept  from  the  contamination  of  surrounding  evil. 
Abram  must  come  out  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  and  all  its 
associations  of  idolatry,  and  he  must  even  leave  his  kin- 
dred and  his  father's  house,  and  walk  before  the  Lord  in 
separation  unto  prompt  obedienca  and  complete  consecra- 
tion. Thu.s  in  his  separation  unto  God  would  be  fulfilled 
the  gracious  purpose  of  the  Most  High.  The  Lord's  end 
and  aim  was  to  keep  his  truth  alive  in  the  world  by 
means  of  a  people  who  should  be  set  apart  for  that  ser- 
vice ;  and  it  was  therefore  essential  that  the  person  chosen 
to  be  the  head  of  that  family,  the  founder  of  that  nation, 
should  come  right  away  from  aU  connection  with  the 
corrupt  world,  and  walk  apart  with  God.  The  chosen 
nation  was  to  dwell  alone,  and  not  to  be  numbered  among 
the  peoples.  Hence  came  that  call  which  said  to  Abram, 
''  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred, 
and  from  thy  father's  house,  imto  a  land  that  I  will  show 
thee  :  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  wiU 
bless  thee,  and  make  thy  name  great ;  and  thou  shalt  be 
a  blessing." 

At  this  moment  God  is  working  in  much  the  same 
manner  in  the  midst  of  the  world  by  his  church.  A 
church  is  an  assembly  called  out.  An  ecclesia  is  not  any 
and  every  ^^  assembly  ;"  a  mixed  crowd  of  unauthorized 
persons,  having  no  special  right  to  come  together  would 
not  be  an  ecclesia,  or  church.  In  a  real  ecclesia  the 
herald  summoned  the  citizens  and  bui'gesses  by  trumpet 


60  ABRAM'S  CALL. 

or  by  name,  and  it  consisted  of  certain  persons  called  out 
from  among  the  common  multitude.  The  true  church 
consists  of  men  who  are  called,  and  faithfid,  and  chosen. 
They  are  redeemed  from  among  men,  and  called  out  from 
among  their  fellows  by  effectual  grace.  God  the  Holy 
Spirit  continues  to  call  out,  and  bring  to  the  Lord  Jesus, 
those  who  are  chosen  of  God  according  to  the  good  pleas- 
ure of  his  will.  Practically,  conversion  is  the  result  of 
the  call — '''•  Get  thee  out  from  thy  country.'^  It  is  a  repe- 
tition of  that  searching  word,  ^^  Come  ye  out  from  among 
them,  and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not 
the  unclean  thing."  The  church  is  a  repetition  of  the 
camp  of  Abram  in  the  midst  of  Canaan.  It  is  the  Lord's 
portion  among  men,  and  it  keeps  his  oracles.  The  church 
of  the  living  God  is  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth ; 
and  it  is  the  design  of  God  to  find  a  home  for  his  gospel 
in  his  chiu-ch,  till  the  dispensation  of  grace  shall  close, 
and  the  Judge  shall  ascend  the  throne. 

In  gathering  instruction  from  the  caU  and  outcoming 
of  Abram,  I  shall  handle  the  matter  by  making  three  re- 
m.arks.  First,  this  call  is  often  only  half  obeyed.  In  our 
first  text  we  find  the  command  of  God  very  partially 
carried  out.  Secondly,  this  call  is  of  a  very  special  char- 
acter j  and  I  shall  endeavor  to  show  the  manner  in  which 
it  comes  to  us  at  this  time.  Thirdly,  this  call^  tvhen  it  is 
really  obeyed,  puts  the  obedient  upon  a  special  footing : 
they  are  henceforth  peculiarly  the  Lord's.  May  the 
Holy  Spirit  bless  our  meditation  ! 

I.  In  the  first  place,  this  call  is  often  only  half 
OBEYED.  It  came  to  Abram  when  he  dwelt  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  ;  but  though  he  so  far  hearkened  to  it  as  to  set 
out  for  Canaan,  yet  we  read  that  ''  they  came  to  Haran, 
and  dwelt  there." 


AB RAM'S   CALL.  61 

We  do  not  know  lioiv  the  call  came  to  Abram,  whether 
by  a  voice  which  he  heard  with  his  ears,  or  by  a  mysteri- 
ous impulse  upon  his  mind,  or  by  a  dream  or  vision  ;  but 
Stephen  tells  us,  in  the  seventh  of  Acts — "  The  God  of 
glory  appeared  imto  our  father  Abraham."  There  may 
have  been  given  to  Abram  some  such  sight  of  the  glory 
of  God  as  Job  had  when  he  cried,  ^^  Now  mine  eye  seeth 
thee."  The  Lord  appeared  to  Abram,  and  made  him  to 
understand  that  he  must  emigrate  from  his  country,  and 
quit  his  tribe.  Somehow  or  other,  it  was  laid  home  to 
Abram's  heart  and  conscience  that  he  must  go  forth  upon 
a  journey  he  knew  not  whither  ;  he  must  journey  into 
another  land,  and  no  more  dwell  in  city,  or  town,  or 
village,  but  become  a  sojourner  with  his  God,  a  tent- 
dweller,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land. 

His  first  step  would  naturally  be  to  tell  his  friends  that 
he  must  needs  leave  them,  for  the  living  God  had  called 
him  to  go  into  the  land  of  Canaan.  At  once  his  difficul- 
ties began.  His  kindred  could  not  bear  to  part  with  him. 
If  they  had  distinctly  opposed  him,  and  said,  ^^  It  is  ab- 
surd ;  your  talk  is  insanity  ;  yet  if  you  must  be  gone,  go 
yoiu*  way  and  welcome  ;  "  then  he  would  have  gone  in 
sadness,  but  assuredly  he  would  not  have  hesitated.  A 
man  possessed  of  Abram's  wondrous  faith  woidd  have 
torn  himself  away  with  great  firmness,  although  with 
deep  regret  at  the  sorrow  vvdiich  he  caused.  Had  they 
opposed  him,  his  course  would  have  been  plain. 

But  he  had  to  meet  with  a  much  more  insidious  evil. 
His  friends  consented  to  his  zeal.  Whether  they  agreed 
in  his  reverence  for  Jehovah  or  not,  they  felt  that  they 
coidd  not  cut  themselves  off  from  Abram,  and  therefore 
they  resolved  to  go  with  him.  The  word  to  Abram  was 
express,  "  Get  thee  out  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy 


62  ABRAiWS   CALL. 

father's  house  " ;  but  how  was  this  to  be  done  when  his 
kindred  and  his  father's  house  clung  to  him,  and  yielded 
to  him  I  Very  naturally  his  loving  spirit  could  see  no 
other  way  but  to  bid  them  all  come  with  him,  and  yield 
themselves  to  Gfod.  Possibly  Abram  looked  for  great 
things  from  this,  and  rejoiced  in  it.  It  would  seem  as 
if  his  aged  father  Terah,  with  that  wisdom  which  is  a 
near  approach  to  subtlety,  himself  led  the  way  in  the 
migration;  for  we  read — "And  Terah  took  Abram 
his  son,  and  Lot,  the  son  of  Haran,  his  son's  son,  and 
Sarai  his  daughter-in-law,  his  son  Abram's  wife  ;  and 
they  vv^ent  forth  with  them  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  to  go 
into  the  land  of  Canaan."  The  father  of  the  clan  leads 
the  way,  and  it  is  rather  his  migration  than  that  of 
Abram.  What  was  Abram  to  do  I  Instead  of  meeting 
opposition  from  his  family,  his  own  father  is  leading  the 
"way  in  the  journey  to  Canaan.  Did  not  this  make  his 
obedience  easier  ?  We  shall  see.  Was  not  this  happy 
union  of  the  household,  this  undivided  assent  to  the 
Lord's  bidding,  a  great  cause  for  rejoicing  ?  It  certainly 
appeared  so  j  but  all  is  not  gold  that  glitters.  Y/hat  we 
think  will  help  may  at  length  hinder.  What  looks  like 
a  work  of  grace  may  turn  out  to  be  only  the  movements 
of  unrenewed  nature.  Like  the  mixed  multitude  which 
came  out  of  Egypt  with  Israel,  we  may  have  about 
us  professed  friends  who  may  become  oui'  worst  foes,  in 
the  secret  of  Grod's  truth  and  grace. 

In  Abram's  case  the  dreaded  separation  is  spared : 
they  start  together  for  Canaan.  So  far  so  good  ;  at  least, 
it  looks  so.  The  travelling  is  wearisome,  and  many  are 
the  murmurings.  The  huge  caravan  has  not  gone  very 
far  before  the  proposal  is  made  that  they  should  be  satis- 
fied with  the  move  which  they  had  made,  and  remain   at 


•   AB RAM'S  CALL.  63 

ITaran.  True,  it  was  not  Canaan,  but  it  might  do  as 
^Ycll.  Did  not  the  family  reason,  ^'  We  shall  stay  here. 
We  have  yielded  a  great  many  points  to  Abram  in  com- 
ing away  from  Ur.  But  we  cannot  yield  to  all  his  de- 
mands. We  have  proved  our  love  to  him  and  our  rever- 
ence for  the  Lord,  by  coming  thus  far,  and  now  we  ask 
for  a  fair  compromise.  Abram  is  very  sincere,  but  he 
must  not  be  bigoted.  Siurely  he  will  not  be  so  foolish  as 
to  believe  in  verbal  inspiration,  and  insist  upon  Canaan, 
when  Haran  quite  meets  the  spirit  of  the  command. 
There  is  no  doubt  Haran  answers  every  purpose,  and  we 
mean  to  stay  here,  and  Abram  must  stay  with  us.''  His 
father  pleads  that  he  is  very  old.  To  be  moving  contin- 
ually is  hard  for  aged  people  j  and  there  is  that  broad 
Euphrates,  how  can  the  old  man  cross  that  dreaded  flood? 
"Spare  your  venerable  parent  this  last  bitterness :  I  have 
come  thus  far  to  please  you;  do  not  press  me  further." 
I  think  I  am  not  wildly  imagining  if  I  suppose  that  some 
such  pleas  induced  the  patriarch  to  tarry  with  his  kindred 
at  Haran.  A  loving  and  tender  heart  wrought  against 
prompt  literal  obedience,  and  for  a  while  the  man  of  faith 
delayed,  the  heir  of  the  promises  hesitated.  Do  you 
blame  him  ?  It  will  bo  wiser  to  look  at  home.  Holy 
Scripture  describes  his  conduct,  and  appends  no  absolute 
word  of  censure  ;  but  it  does  what  is  quite  as  significant, 
it  keeps  silence  as  to  anything  like  a  record  of  blessing, 
or  of  commimion  with  God,  while  Abram  was  at  the  half- 
way house  at  Haran.  To  a  friend  of  God  his  silence  is 
quite  enough  rebuke.  If  my  friend  does  not  smile,  I  do 
not  require  him  to  frown  to  let  me  know  whereabouts  I 
am  in  his  esteem.  If  my  friend  no  longer  speaks  to  me, 
I  do  not  need  him  to  upbraid  me,  his  silence  is  sadly  elo- 
quent to  my  heart. 


64  AB RAM'S  CALL. 

Abram  and  the  rest  settled  down  at  Haran.  He  was 
conquered,  not  by  open  foes,  but  by  compromising  friends. 
My  brethren,  take  ye  good  heed  unto  yourselves,  that  ye 
suflfer  not  your  feet  to  be  entangled  by  the  men  of  your 
OAvn  household.  He  that  would  follow  the  Lamb  whither- 
soever he  goeth,  must  not  know  his  own  kindred  when 
he  comes  to  the  parting  of  the  ways.  Honest  wolves 
will  not  harm  us  one  half  so  much  as  those  who  look  like 
sheep,  but  inwardly  are  not  so.  Our  first  father,  Adam, 
fell  by  the  temptation  of  her  whom  he  loved,  and  the  old 
serpent  still  knows  how  to  seduce  through  our  affections 
and  lead  into  ruin  by  the  suggestion  of  friendship.  O 
man  of  God,  beware  !  Eead  my  parable  with  open  eye, 
and  practise  the  lesson  thereof. 

Let  me  describe  the  consequences  of  tarrying  at  any 
half-way  house.  To  obey  the  Lord  partially  is  to  disobey 
him.  If  the  Lord  bids  Abram  go  to  Canaan,  he  caimot 
fulfil  that  command  by  going  to  Haran.  Haran  was  not 
mentioned  in  the  call.  You  cannot  keep  God's  command 
by  doing  something  else  which  pleases  you  better.  The 
essence  of  obedience  lies  in  its  exactness.  Although 
something  else  may  seem  to  you  to  be  quite  as  good  as 
the  thing  commanded,  what  has  that  to  do  with  it.  This 
is  what  God  bids  you,  and  to  refuse  the  thing  commanded, 
professing  to  substitute  a  better  thing,  is  gross  presump- 
tion. You  may  not  think  it  so,  but  so  it  is,  that  half 
obedience  is  whole  disobedience.  We  can  only  obey  the 
Lord's  command  as  it  stands ;  to  alter  it  is  as  great  a 
treason  as  to  make  erasures  in  a  king's  statute-book.  It 
is  will- worship,  and  not  God's  worship,  if  I  do  what  I 
choose  of  the  Lord's  work,  and  leave  a  partmidone  which 
does  not  please  me  quite  so  well. 

Moreover,  half-way  obedience  increases  our  responsibility, 


AB RAM'S  CALL.  65 

because  it  is  a  plain  confession  that  we  know  the  Lord's 
will,  though  we  do  it  not.  Abram  had  received  the  call, 
and  knew  that  he  had  done  so,  else  why  had  he  come  to 
Haran  ?  He  admitted,  by  going  as  far  as  Haran,  that 
he  ought  to  go  the  whole  way  to  Canaan  ;  and  so,  by  his 
own  action  he  left  himself  without  excuse.  And  any  of 
you  who  are  doing  in  a  measure  what  is  right  because  of 
the  fear  of  God,  and  yet  are  acting  in  other  matters  con- 
trary to  what  you  know  to  be  the  Lord^s  will,  you  are 
left  without  apology  for  such  neglect.  By  the  service 
which  you  do  render  to  God  you  admit  that  he  has  right 
to  your  obedience  ;  why,  then,  do  you  not  obey  him  in 
all  things  ?  You  call  Jesus  your  Lord,  and  do  some  of 
the  things  which  he  says,  but  why  not  the  rest  %  Is  it 
not  clear  that  you  know  your  Master's  will  and- do  it  not? 
Thus,  you  see,  there  was  failure  in  obedience,  and  in- 
crease of  responsibility. 

The  result  of  this  to  Abram  was  the  absence  of  privilege. 
God  spoke  not  to  his  servant  in  Haran :  neither  dream, 
nor  vision,  nor  voice  came  to  him  in  the  place  of  hesi- 
tancy. The  Lord  loved  him,  but  hid  his  face  from  him, 
and  denied  him  the  visits  of  his  grace.  If  we  walk  con- 
trary to  the  Lord,  he  will  walk  contrary  to  us.  Abram 
lived  with  his  father  Terah  ;  but  he  was  not  living  near 
his  heavenly  Father,  and  therefore  he  did  not  hear  his 
voice.  How  greatly  the  true  heart  dreads  this  !  How 
earnestly  it  sighs,  ^^  0  Lord,  be  not  silent  to  me,  lest,  if 
thou  be  silent  to  me,  I  become  like  them  that  go  down 
into  the  pit !  "  0  my  brothers,  let  us  not,  by  wavering 
and  half-heartedness,  lose  our  communion  with  the  Lord 
om-  God. 

MeauAvhile,  Abram  ivas  rendering  an  affliction  needful. 
His  father  Terah  must  die   that   the  cord  which   held 


6G  AB RAM'S   CALL. 

Abram  miglit  be  broken.  If  the  called  one  will  not  come 
out  while  the  old  man  lives,  death  must  do  his  work,  and 
remove  the  cause  of  disobedience.  If  Abram  fears  to 
weep  at  parting  with  a  living  father,  he  must  weep  over 
his  grave.  One  way  or  another  the  Lord  will  cause  his 
chosen  to  obey  him.  Oh,  that  we  would  be  tender  of 
heart,  and  not  be  as  the  horse  or  as  the  mule,  which  have 
no  understanding !  Whips  and  rods  would  seldom  be 
heard  of  if  we  were  more  promptly  obedient. 

While  tarrying  at  liaran,  Abram  was  creating  cause 
of  future  disquietude  by  his  attachment  to  Lot.  He  was 
told  to  come  out  from  his  kindred,  but  he  clung  to  his 
orphan  nephew,  and  must  needs  accept  his  company. 
Lot  caused  him  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  His  herdsmen 
created  discontent  and  strife,  and  afterwards  Lot,  him- 
self, was  carried  away  captive,  and  peaceful  Abram  was 
compelled  to  gird  on  the  warrior's  sword,  and  go  forth  to 
battle,  to  rescue  his  nephew.  Had  Abram  acted  decided- 
ly from  the  very  first,  he  might  have  saved  himself  many 
a  disquietude.  My  brethren,  learn  well  these  lessons. 
I  merely  hint  them  5  will  you  not  enlarge  upon  them  ? 

All  this  while  Abram  ivas  delaying  iJie  great  blessing 
tvhich  God  tv as  prepared  to  give  him.  He  was  keeping 
out  of  the  promised  land,  and  away  from  the  place  where 
Jehovah  would  manifest  himself  to  him,  and  enter  into 
covenant  with  him.  I  fear  that  some  true  believers  are 
depriving  themselves  of  the  richest  joy  and  the  most 
heavenly  experience  by  their  undecided  conduct.  Some 
of  you  have  come  away  from  your  old  sins,  but  you  have 
not  yet  entered  upon  the  new  life  in  its  fidness.  You 
have  left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees — the  place  of  open  sin  ;  but 
you  have  not  come  to  Canaan  the  holy.  You  are  tarry- 
ing in  the  Haran  of  a  partial  obedience,  which  is  neither 


ABRAM'S  CALL.  67 

here  nor  there— a  soi-t  of  dcatli  in  life,  rebellion  in  obedi- 
ence, unbelief  in  faith.  I  know  many  professors  who 
have  left  their  vicious  habits,  but  they  are  not  yet  con- 
secrated to  the  Lord  Jesus  :  they  are  not  absolutely  in 
the  world,  and  yet  they  are  not  abiding  in  the  Lord. 
Their  speech  is  half  of  Ashdod  and  half  of  the  Jews'  lan- 
guage ;  they  dare  not  be  Philistines,  and  yet  they  will 
not  be  Israelites.  They  are  willing  to  be  saved  by  the 
cross  of  Christ,  but  they  are  not  willing  to  take  up 
Christ's  cross,  and  come  right  out  decidedly  upon  his  side 
at  all  times.  This  is  a  perilous  state  to  be  in.  They 
have  enough  religion  to  make  them  miserable,  but  I  fear 
not  enough  to  fit  them  for  joys  eternal.  They  may  id- 
timately  get  into  heaven  by  the  skin  of  their  teeth ;  at 
least,  I  hope  so ;  but  they  have  no  present  joy,  no  im- 
mediate peace,  no  conscious  fellowship  with  God.  Half- 
way house  godliness  is  wretched  stuff:  beware  of  it ! 
Eemember  what  we  read  of  the  mongrels  who  dwelt  in 
Israel's  land,  who  had  been  brought  there  by  the  Assyrian 
conqueror.  They  feared  the  Lord,  and  served  other 
gods,  and,  therefore,  Jehovah  sent  lions  among  them. 
Let  all  who  are  of  that  race  remember  the  lions ;  for  the 
Lord  will  not  suffer  such  double-minded  ones  to  live  in 
peace  before  him. 

Thus  much,  then,  upon  my  first  point  :  the  divine  call 
is  too  often  only  half  obeyed. 

II.  Secondly,   this  call,  especially  as  it  comes  to 

us,  13  OF  a  very  peculiar  CHARACTER. 

To  us,  of  course,  it  is  wholly  spiritual.  We  are  not 
called  to-day  to  leave  our  country,  and  our  kindred, 
so  far  as  our  residence  is  concerned ;  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  we  are  called  to  a  much  more  difficult 
position    than    that,    namely,    to   stay    on    the  old   spot. 


68  AB RAM'S   CALL. 

aniong  old  friends,  and  yet  to  lead  a  wholly  new  life. 
Of  course,  we  are  to  quit  all  evil  company ;  but  wc 
are  not  to  leave  the  society  of  our  fellow-men,  nor  to  go 
out  of  the  world.  Even  Abram  was  not  called  to  be  an 
ascetic,  nor  to  live  in  a  cave,  nor  to  retire  into  the 
desert  like  a  hermit.  Within  the  borders  of  his  own 
encampment  Abram  was  a  man  among  men,  and  pursued 
his  daily  calling  as  the  keeper  of  great  flocks  of  sheep, 
and  herds  of  oxen,  and  camels,  and  so  forth.  Towards 
his  neighbors  he  behaved  himself  with  noble-minded 
independence  and  integrity.  He  was  a  pattern  of  what 
grace  can  make  of  a  really  noble  man  when  he  moves 
among  those  who  are  strangers  to  his  God.  But  yet, 
beloved,  Abram  did,  to  a  great  extent,  dwell  in  a  fa- 
vorable condition.  He  lived  apart  from  the  grosser  sort ; 
he  was  not  wearied  with  the  voices  of  a  city,  as  Lot  was  : 
his  own  tents,  and  the  many  tents  of  his  servants,  made 
up  quite  a  settlement,  where  God's  name  w^as  reverenced 
and  the  fear  of  the  Lord  was  felt.  That  canvas  town 
had  one  over  it  of  whom  the  Lord  said,  "  I  know  him, 
that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his  household 
after  him,  and  they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord.'' 
Some  of  us  can  almost  seclude  our  families  ;  but  many 
ethers  have  a  far  harder  task  ;  they  have  to  live  in  the 
city  amid  its  sins,  and  yet  not  to  be  of  it ;  they  have  in 
their  earthly  callings  to  come  into  daily  contact  wdth  the 
ungodly,  and  yet  they  have  to  be  holy,  harmless,  un de- 
filed and  separate  from  sinners.  As  Abram  was  no 
Canaanite,  though  he  sojourned  in  Canaan,  so  are  we  to 
prove  ourselves  to  be  of  a  totally  distinct  race.  This  is 
a  very  difficult  piece  of  business.  How  great  a  wonder 
v/as  asked  by  our  Saviour's  prayer — ^^  I  pray  not  that 
thou  shoiddest  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou 


AB RAM'S  CALL.  69 

shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil  "  !  Not  by  difference 
in  brogue,  nor  by  peculiarity  in  dress,  are  we  to  be 
marked  out  as  the  servants  of  God  j  but  our  lives  must 
be  so  Christlike  and  pure,  that  men  shall  say  of  us,  "  Thou 
also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  for  thy  life  betray  eth  thee.' 
This  call,  then,  is  of  a  deeply  spiritual  and  peculiar  char- 
aL^ter.  My  brother,  have  you  heard  it?  My  sister,  have 
you  heard  it  %  Have  you  endeavored  to  obey  it  to  the  full? 
It  means  just  this — that  we  are  to  flee  all  sin,  without  excep- 
tion, and  follow  everything  that  is  pure  and  holy,  with- 
out exception.  Others  wallow  in  what  they  call  the  pleasures 
of  sin :  abhor  such  things,  and  protest  against  them.  Shun, 
also,  everything  that  is  doubtful ;  for,  ^'  whatsoever  is  not 
of  faith  is  sin."  If  you  are  not  sure  it  is  right,  it  is  sin  to 
you.  Avoid  the  appearance  of  evil.  Separate  yourself 
from  all  that  which  Christ  would  have  disapproved.  Be 
so  decided,  also,  as  to  leave  everything  that  is  hesitating. 
Be  out-and-out  for  Jesus.  While  many  will  try  to  run 
both  with  the  hare  and  the  hounds,  make  it  your  object 
to  abhor  that  which  is  evil  and  to  cleave  to  that  which 
is  good.  Make  a  point  of  wearing  your  regimentals. 
Be  dead  and  buried  to  this  present  evil  world  with  its 
frivolities,  philosophies,  and  grandeurs.  Regard  the 
world  as  crucified  to  you,  and  be  yourself  crucified  to  it. 
The  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God.  Go 
v\ithout  the  camp  bearing  Christ's  reproach.  In  matters 
of  religion  follow  the  Lord  fully,  let  the  Word  of  God  be 
your  sole  and  sure  rule,  and  nothing  else.  That  religion 
Avhich  is  not  according  to  God's  Word  is  a  false  religion. 
Accept  neither  doctrine  nor  ceremony  for  which  there  is 
no  scriptural  warrant.  Search  thou  the  Word  about  it 
all  :  "  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  :  if  they  speak 
not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light 


70  AB RAM'S  CALL. 

in  them."  Follow  tlioii  tliy  conscience,  as  thy  con- 
science is  enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  God  concerning 
his  Word ;  follow  the  Word  even  in  its  jots  and  tittles. 
Make  not  too  much  of  peculiarities  in  comparison  with 
vital  and  fundamental  truths  ;  but,  still,  even  with  these 
less  weighty  matters,  take  heed  that  thou  do  not  trifle, 
lest  in  neglecting  the  less  thou  learn  to  neglect  the 
greater,  and  so  become  guilty  of  the  great  transgression. 
Avoid  the  world's  religion ;  for  if  there  is  one  world 
worse  than  another,  it  is  the  Christian  world.  Xo 
enemies  of  Israel  were  so  bitter  as  their  brethren  the 
Edomites  :  brethren  in  name  only  become  the  fiercest  of 
foes.  Be  thou  distinctly  removed  from  the  religion 
which  is  based  upon  self-will,  pride  of  intellect,  and 
worldly  conformity.  The  world's  religion  is  as  evil  as 
the  world's  irreligion.  Surrender  to  the  plain  teaching 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  resolve  in  all  things  to  follow 
thy  Lord  wherever  he  may  lead  thee.  Stand  thou  alone, 
if  others  will  not  obey.  In  thine  house  let  there  be  an 
altar  for  God,  if  there  be  not  another  in  the  land.  Make 
thou  a  covenant  with  God  through  the  one  great 
Sacrifice,   even  if  all  others  forget  the  Saviour. 

See,  dear  friends,  what  the  call  is,  and  then  remember 
that  it  comes  to  the  believer  from  God  himself.  The  Lord 
calls  his  servants  unto  the  separated  life,  and  because 
of  his  authority  they  are  bound  to  obey.  He  calls  by  his 
W^ord,  either  preached  or  read  :  it  comes  to  the  individ- 
ual by  an  application  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  that  the 
man  yields  cheerfid  assent  thereto.  He  is  drawn,  and 
therefore  he  runs.  Such  a  person  feels  it  a  pleasure  to 
take  Christ  for  his  example,  and  to  put  his  feet  down 
in  the  very  tracks  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  It  is  ours  to  follow 
the  Lord's  precept  and  example  with  great  care  and  sol- 


AB RAM'S  CALL.  71 

emn  determination,  turning  neither  to  tlie  riglit  liand  nor 
to  the  left.     It  Avas  so  with  Abrain  :  is  it  so  with  you  ? 

Because  this  call  comes  from  God,  it  has  for  us  a  su- 
preme authority.  We  follow  our  Lord  even  when  dark- 
ness is  round  about  him  :  though  we  know  not  the  Avay, 
we  know  the  Lord,  and  therefore  we  follow  him 
implicitly.  To  us  the  Word  of  God  is  more  than  the 
decrees  of  emperors,  or  the  statutes  of  senators.  If 
this  thing  were  of  men,  if  this  thing  were  ordained  by 
a  learned  comicil,  or  a  reverend  bench,  it  would  be  of 
small  account  in  our  eyes ;  but  wdien  he  that  made  us 
and  redeemed  us  speaks  to  us,  we  can  only  reply,  '^  Help 
thy  servants  to  do  thy  will,  for  thy  will  is  our  delight.'' 

My  brethren,  if  we  thus  separate  ourselves  unto  obe- 
dience, ive  must  exx>ect  violent  opposition.  Severe  criticism 
will  not  be  spared  us.  Of  course,  some  will  say,  ''  The 
man  is  mad  "  :  others  more  gently  will  murmur,  "  He  is 
sadly  misled."  Many  will  accuse  you  of  a  liking  to  be  sin- 
gular, or  a  weakness  for  going  to  extremes,  or  a  self- 
righteous  wish  to  excel  others,  or  of  having  "a  bee  in 
your  bonnet."  Accusers  will  hint  that  you  are  seeking 
your  own  in  some  form  or  other ;  and  if  they  cannot  quite 
see  a  motive,  they  will  imagine  one.  What  is  the  use 
of  imagination  if  it  will  not  help  a  man  out  when  his 
facts  rim  short  ?  Having  once  made  up  their  mind  that 
you  are  foolish  and  contemptible,  they  will  view  all  your 
conduct  through  colored  glasses,  and  condemn  you  up 
and  down.  Be  not  dismayed,  but  endure  hardness  for 
the  love  of  Jesus. 

To  go  forth  and  lead  a  separated  life  ivill  need  faith j 
and  to  have  faith  you  will  need  the  grace  of  God. 
Believe  that  God's  command  is  right,  and  believe  that  he 
will  justify  you  in  fulfilling  it.     Believe  that  God's  prom- 


72  ABRAAPS   CALL. 

ise  is  true,  and  tliat  lie  will  prove  it  so.  Abram  was 
bidden  to  go,  and  lie  went.  Look  at  Abram's  case,  and 
see  how  impossible  it  was  for  liim  to  obey  apart  from 
faith  in  God.  He  was  to  go  away  from  all  that  was 
dear,  from  all  that  was  comfortable  and  settled ;  he  Avas 
to  go  he  knew  not  whither,  and  he  was  to  go  to  obtain  an 
inheritance  for  a  son  that  was  not  born,  and  that  was  not 
likely  ever  to  be  born  ;  for  he  was  old,  and  Sarai  was 
well  stricken  in  years.  Only  faith  could  enable  him  to 
obey  a  call  which  looked  so  like  a  delusion.  We  need 
faith  in  every  step  of  a  holy  life.  Oh  for  more  looking 
unto  Jesus,  more  child-like  dependence  upon  God  !  If 
thou  believest,  thou  wilt  do  the  Lord's  will ;  but  if  thou 
dost  not  believe,  thou  vvdlt  refuse  to  obey,  and  miss  the 
blessing. 

Suppose  we  do  obey  the  divine  call,  what  then  ?  Will 
our  course  be  smooth  ever  afterwards  %  Far  from  it. 
The  walk  of  the  separated  believer  involves  trial.  The 
trial  of  Abram  in  leaving  his  country  was  but  one  out  of 
ten  which  are  recorded.  It  is  written,  ^^  In  the  world  ye 
shall  have  tribulation."  In  the  Lord's  vineyard  the 
knife  is  used  if  nowhere  else.  The  Lord  tried  Abram, 
and  he  will  try  us  •  it  is  a  part  of  the  process  of  love  by 
which  he  prepares  us  for  the  eternal  rest.  The  course 
of  true  faith  never  does  run  smooth.  If  thou  wilt  obey 
the  divine  call  thou  shalt  be  favored  with  more  trials,  thou 
shalt  be  honored  with  still  greater  tests  of  thy  fidelity  ; 
but  then  thou  shalt  be  known  as  the  friend  of  God,  and 
God  shall  make  thee  to  be  a  blessing  to  others,  even  to 
the  end  of  time.  Mark  vrell  what  is  proposed  to  you — 
that  God  shall  take  you,  and  give  you  his  light,  and  his 
truth,  and  his  salvation,  that  you  may  preserve  it  for  all 
the  ages,  until  Christ  shall  come.     Are  you  willing  to 


AB?AArS   CALL  73 

accept  so  liigli  an  honor  ?  Will  you  count  the  cost,  and 
make  your  calling  and  election  sure  ?  Will  you  cry  with 
Esaias,  "  Here  am  1  !  Send  me  " '?  As  the  Roman  con- 
sul devoted  himself  to  death  in  battle  for  the  sake  of  the 
beloved  city,  will  you  devote  yourself  to  God,  and  his 
cause  and  truth  ?  In  very  deed  such  is  my  spirit.  I 
wish  there  were  ten  thousand  who  woidd  say  the  same. 
O  my  brother,  blessed  art  thou  among  men,  if  thou  art 
sot  apart  for  God  and  truth.  Yea,  my  sister,  blessed  art 
thou  among  women,  if  thou  art  following  the  Lord  fully 
in  the  way  of  his  will. 

III.     This  brings  me  to  my  third  and  last  point.     This 

CALL,  WHEN  IT  IS  OBEYED,  PUTS    US    ON    SPECIAL  GROUND. 

For,  first,  God  is  hound  to  justify  the  course  tvhich  he 
himself  commands.  When  Abram  w^ent  to  Canaan  at  the 
Lord's  bidding  and  remained  there,  the  responsibility 
was  with  the  Lord.  If  any  evil  had  come  of  his  conduct 
he  could  not  have  blamed  himself.  It  was  neither  his 
own  wisdom  nor  his  own  folly  Avhich  led  him ;  God  alone 
was  his  director.  It  is  mine  to  obey,  it  is  God's  to 
prove  that  my  obedience  is  wise.  AVhat  peace  this 
brings !  0  my  hearer,  if  thou  believest  in  Christ  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  if  thou  becomest  a  sincere  ffjllov^er  of 
Jesus  in  all  things,  God  will  justify  thee  in  so  doing,  for 
thou  doest  it  at  his  bidding.  If  there  be  any  folly  in 
holiness,  the  folly  is  not  with  thco,  but  with  him  that 
bade  thee  be  holy.  The  servant  is  accountable  for  any 
action  he  does  of  his  own  head,  but  not  for  that  which 
he  does  by  the  command  of  his  principal.  So  you,  in 
keeping  close  to  God's  will,  are  not  accoimtable  for  con- 
sequences ;  the  consequences  must  lie  with  God.  As 
surely  as  wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children,  so  is  God 
justified  of  all  believers  j  aye,  and  he  justifieth  belie vcrS; 


74  ABTAM'S   CALL. 

and  their  faith  is  counted  unto  them  for  righteousness. 
Therefore,  beloved,  we  stand  on  the  ground  of  justifica- 
tioD  when  we  obey  the  call  of  God. 

We  cease,  also,  from  that  moment  to  he  of  the  tvorld. 
God  deals  with  the  world  one  way,  but  with  his  separated 
ones  in  another  way.  ^^  Them  that  are  without,  God 
judgeth  j"  but  those  who  are  within  are  not  under  law, 
but  under  grace.  It  is  the  joy  of  faith  that  there  is  no 
condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  There 
is  discipline  now  within  the  house  of  God ;  but  it  is  not 
that  of  a  court  of  justice,  but  of  the  abode  of  love.  The 
Lord  chastens  his  children,  that  they  may  not  be  con- 
demned with  the  world.  The  separated  ones  are  not 
numbered  among  the  people  of  the  earth.  When  you 
read  of  the  seven  trumpets,  and  vials,  and  plagues, 
fear  not,  for  nothing  shall  by  any  means  hurt  you. 
When  the  blood  shall  flow  in  the  day  of  vengeance  up 
to  the  horses^  bridles,  then  shall  not  a  hair  of  your 
head  perish,  for  the  Lord  secures  those  Avho  are  sealed 
to  him.  Babylon  must  fall,  that  lieth  hard  by  Ur  of 
the  Chaldees,  whence  you  came  ;  and  all  that  bear 
the  mark  of  the  beast  shall  die,  even  as  Terali  died  in 
Haran  ;  but  as  for  you,  "  at  destruction  and  famine  thou 
shalt  laugh. '^  No  evil  shall  touch  you,  for  the  Lord  is 
your  keeper.  If  you  are  walking  in  the  separated  j)ath 
with  God,  and  are  setting  him  always  before  you,  you 
shaU  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  What  a 
condition  to  be  in  !  First  justified,  and  then  secured 
from  the  doom  which  will  sm^ely  fall  upon  the  guilty 
world. 

Now,  as  free  grace  has  separated  you  imto  God,  yon 
come  into  an  honored  fellowship  ivith  him.  Abram,  in  his 
tent,  had  God  for  his  companion.     He  had  near  and  clear 


ABRAM'^   CALL.  75 

manifestations  of  God  ;  lie  entertained  angels  unawares, 
and  Avith  those  angels  was  the  Son  of  God  himself.  If 
you  quit  the  world  to  abide  with  God,  God  himself  will 
abide  with  you.  If  you  come  out  from  the  unclean 
world,  the  Lord  has  said,  "  I  will  dwell  in  them,  and 
Avalk  in  them.  I  will  be  a  father  unto  them,  and  they 
shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  God 
Almighty."  Oh,  rest  you  in  this  sweet  fact,  that  the 
Triune  God  will  manifest  himself  to  his  chosen  as  he  doth 
not  to  the  world.  You  shall  be  one  of  the  people  near 
unto  him. 

By  coming  out  from  the  world,  and  following  the  Lord 
closely,  ive  come  under  the  divine  care  and  protection. 
How  wonderfully  Abram  was  screened  from  evil ! 
Jehovah  was  his  shield.  He  was  a  stranger  in  the  midst 
of  enemies,  but  they  did  not  molest  him :  an  awe  was 
upon  them,  for  Jehovah  had  said,  ''  Touch  not  mine 
anointed,  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm."  Wherever  a 
true  saint  goes,  the  Lord  lays  his  commands  on  all  the 
powers  of  nature  and  all  the  angels  of  heaven  to  take 
care  of  him.  When  Abram  was  at  peace  God  blessed 
him  in  all  things;  and  if  he  went  to  war,  God  gave  his 
enemies  as  driven  stubble  to  his  bow.  If  we  are  with 
God,  God  is  with  us.  When  God's  will  is  our  delight, 
God's  providence  is  our  inheritance.  It  is  not  so  with 
you  all :  no,  not  even  with  all  of  you  who  profess  to  be 
Christians ;  but  it  is  so  with  those  of  you  who  keep  close 
to  God's  Word,  and  follow  in  will,  in  spirit,  in  belief,  and 
in  act,  the  example  of  his  dear  Son.  0  beloved,  let  us 
strive  after  this !  Let  us  aim  at  perfect  conformity  to 
the  will  of  God,  for  this  will  place  us  in  quiet  nearness  to 
God. 

Henceforth    Abram   tvas  for    God^s  use    only,     God 


76  ABRAM-::  call. 

treated  him  as  his  confidant^  as  the  receiver  of  heavenly 
revelations,  and  as  the  fomider  of  a  race.  God  Trill  also 
use  uSj  if  we  will  come  where  he  can  use  iis.  Vessels 
set  apart  for  the  Master's  use  must  not  be  used  by  the 
servants.  God  is  a  great  King  ;  and  when  he  selects  a 
cup  for  his  own  table^  he  will  not  have  it  used  by  others. 
If  other  lips  drink  out  of  the  chalice  of  thy  life,  the  Lord 
disdains  thee.  Thou  must  be  for  him  only,  or  thou  art 
not  his  spouse.  If  thou  be  his  from  the  crown  of  thy 
head  to  the  sole  of  thy  foot  by  solemn  consecration,  he 
will  honor  thee  yet  more  and  more ;  yea,  thou  knowest 
not  to  what  high  ends  he  has  ordained  thee,  both  in  this 
life  and  in  the  ages  to  come.  But  look  thou  well  to  this, 
that  thou  be  holiness  unto  the  Lord. 

One  more  thought  presses  itself  upon  my  heart  :  the 
man  who  for  Christ's  sake  has  cut  all  his  moorings,  and 
separated  himself  from  the  world,  to  follow  the  Lamb, 
has  learned  how  to  live,  but  he  has  also  learned  how  to 
die.  Vf  e  die  unto  the  world,  and  thereby  learn  to 
die.  When  we  cease  to  trust  in  riches,  when  we  resign 
our  comforts,  when  we  no  longer  lean  on  friends,  when 
all  things  visible  become  as  shadows  to  us,  then  we  make 
a  rehearsal  of  death.  Unless  the  Lord  himself  shall  soon 
descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  we  shall  all  die.  Yes, 
the  hour  of  our  departure  hastens  on.  Then  we  shall 
have  to  cut  ourselves  loose  from  our  moorings,  be  they 
what  they  may.  Soon  shall  we  hear  this  word  from 
heaven,  ^^  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  from  thy 
kindred,  and  from  thy  father's  house,  unto  a  land  that  I 
will  show  thee."  This  will  be  our  summons  to  the  better 
Canaan,  the  land  that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey.  We 
shall  depart  out  of  this  world  to  face  an  miknown  eterni- 
ty f  but  we  shall  by  no  means  dread  the  migration.     He 


AB RAM'S   CALL.  77 

that  lias  crossed  tlio  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates, 
will  not  fear  i\\Q  Jordan.  To  give  up  the  world  will  be 
no  new  thing  for  you  or  for  me  :  we  have  given  it  up 
many  ti.nes  already.  We  have  frequently  given  up 
everything  into  the  Lord's  hands  in  real  earnest,  and  v/e 
can  readily  do  it  once  more.  AVe  live  here  as  strangers 
and  sojourners,  and  we  find  little  to  charm  us  in  this 
foreign  land.  Oiir  treasure  is  above,  and  it  will  be  a 
joy  for  our  souls  .to  rise  to  the  place  where  our  hearts 
already  dwell.  We  cannot  be  sorry  to  quit  a  dead  world. 
Who  loves  to  sit  in  a  charnel-house  %  If  we  tremble  to 
leave  kindred  and  friends,  yet  let  us  remember  that  we 
have  already  quitted  them  in  spirit.  Let  us  journey,  as 
Abram  did,  towards  the  south  ;  that  is  to  say,  let  us  get 
still  further  away  from  the  old  abode.  Let  us  make  for 
the  heart  of  Immanuei's  land.  Let  us  press  towards  the 
New  Jerusalem,  the  heavenly  city,  and  rest  not  till  we 
stand  in  our  lot  and  behold  him  whom  Abram  saw  with 
gladness. 

The  one  question  I  finish  v»dth  is  : — Do  you  know  any- 
thing about  this  %  Have  you  ever  felt  this  divine  call  % 
If  so,  make  your  calling  and  election  sure.  Carry  out 
the  separating  ordinance  to  the  full.  Some  of  us  had  to 
take  very  decided  steps  at  our  first  starting,  but  we  be- 
gan aright.  We  have  been  called  since  to  equally  pain- 
ful courses,  but  we  hope  to  keep  right.  Anything  is 
better  than  a  wound  in  the  conscience.  If  we  keep  close 
to  Christ,  we  shall  find  rest  unto  our  souls.  We  look 
back  without  regret  to  what  we  may  have  suffered  by 
decision ;  counting  it  less  than  nothing  for  the  joy  that 
was  set  before  us.  We  wish  that  all  our  converts  would 
be  out-and-out  in  their  course  of  life.  0  you  who  by 
grace  are  beginners  in  the  heavenly  life,  make  a  strong 


78  ABRAM'S   CALL. 

resolve — ^^  We  will  be  the  servants  of  God,  and  endeavor 
in  all  tilings  to  obey  liim.'^  Since  God  made  you,  and 
by  the  blood  of  his  dear  Son  redeemed  you,  it  is  yours 
to  be  doubly  the  Lord's.  There  are  the  blood  and  right- 
eousness of  Jesus  Christ ;  are  these  yours  %  Make  sure 
on  that  point ;  and  if  they  are  yours,  yield  yourself  to 
Jesus,  and,  from  this  day  forward,  do  his  bidding  without 
question  or  delay.  Quit  everything  contrary  to  the 
Lord's  mind  and  will ;  at  all  cost  be  true  ;  then  shall  the 
Lord  be  your  delight,  and  his  service  shall  be  your 
heaven  below.  If  you  are  now  separated  unto  him,  you 
shall  find  your  revv^ard  in  that  day  when  he  shall  divide 
the  sheep  from  the  goats,  for  then  you  shall  be  placed  at 
his  right  hand,  to  hear  him  say,  ^'  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father."  May  you  be  the  children  of  believing  Abram^ 
for  Jesus'  sake  !     Amen. 


lY. 

NATHANAEL;     or,     the     EEADY    believer    and    mS    RE- 
WARD. 

April  29,  1888. 

*'  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Because  I  said  unto  thee,  I 
saw  thee  under  the  fig  tree,  believest  thou  ?  thou  shalt  see  greater 
things  than  these." — John  i.  50. 

Nathan AEL  was  by  nature  a  man  free  from  cunning 
and  deceit.  He  was  a  specimen  of  that  ^'  honest  and 
good  ground  "  of  which  our  Saviour  speaks  in  the  para- 
ble, upon  which,  when  the  seed  fell,  a  hundredfold  har- 
vest was  produced.  We  have  some  such  men  about  us, 
thank  God,  in  this  country :  regular  John  Bkmts,  as  we 
say,  clear  as  crystal,  true  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens. 
Many  men  are  well  known  to  us,  who  are  upright,  down- 
right, truthful,  honest,  candid,  and  open-hearted.  You 
might  trust  them  anywhere  ;  yea,  trust  them  to  repeat  a 
conversation  without  misrepresenting  it,  and  that  is  say- 
ing a  good  deal  in  these  times.  Such  people  do  not  un- 
derstand the  clever  arts  of  craft  and  cmming,  for  they  do 
not  take  to  them  naturally,  and  have  never  been  trained 
in  the  practice  of  policy.  Sneech  is  not  to  them  the 
medium  for  concealing  their  thoughts.  When  th.ey  have 
a  mind  to  speak,  they  speak  their  mind.  You  know 
where  they  are.  They  may  have  a  great  many  faults, 
but  they  have  not  the  faults  of  deception  and  dissimiUa- 
tion.  They  arc  Israelites  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile. 
You  know  the  kind  of  people  :  they  may  at  times  speak 

(79) 


go  NATHANAEL. 

too  harshly,  and  hurt  your  feelings  ;  they  may  put  things 
in  an  ugly  shape,  and  tread  on  people's  corns ;  hut  they 
are  as  straight  as  a  plumb-line,  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
you  know  them  when  you  have  heard  what  they  say.  In 
the  end  they  cause  far  less  pain  to  people's  feelings  than 
those  who  have  a  great  deal  of  finesse  and  policy,  whose 
■words  are  softer  than  butter,  but  inwardly  they  are  drawn 
swords.  Smooth  and  oily  tongues,  mth  lying  hearts  at 
the  back  of  them,  are  fit  instruments  for  Satan ;  but 
truth-speaking  lips,  Avhich  are  joined  to  an  honest  heart, 
are  precious  things  which  the  Lord  himself  delights  to 
use. 

Now,  when  the  good  brethren  who  had  joined  the 
Saviour  came  to  tell  Nathanael  that  they  had  fomid  the 
Christ,  he  blurted  out  his  objection  at  once.  They  said, 
^^  We  have  found  him,  of  whom  jMoses  in  the  law,  and 
the  prophets,  did  write,  Jesus  of  Xazareth  ;  "  but  he  did 
not  take  everything  for  gospel  which  his  friends  told  him. 
Nathanael  had  been  born  and  bred  in  the  midst  of  people 
prejudiced  against  Nazareth,  and  he  had  sucked  in  their 
prejudice,  and  felt  sure  that  the  Messiah  could  no  more 
come  from  Nazareth  than  a  profound  philosopher  could 
come  from  Gotham.  He  does  not  beat  about  the  bush, 
but  he  says  at  once,  "  Can  there  any  good  thing  come 
out  of  Nazareth  f  It  is  always  a  good  thing,  when  a 
man  has  a  prejudice,  if  he  will  but  state  it,  and  ^'  out" 
with  it.  You  can  always  deal  with  this  kind  of  fellow. 
If  he  A^^il  say  what  is  troubling  him,  and  teU  you  what 
keeps  him  back  from  faith,  why,  then  you  can  put  your 
finger  on  his  difficulty,  and  try  to  remove  it.  It  is  a 
great  miracle  when  a  dumb  devil  is  cast  out ;  if  the  evil 
win  but  speak,  and  co  declare  itself,  wo  have  a  chance 
of  overcoming  it. 


NATHANAEL.  81 

NathanaeFs  qucsti(  n  was  met  at  once  by  his  comrades, 
who  said  to  him,  ''  Come  and  see ;  "  and,  like  the  honest 
man  that  he  was,  he  took  up  their  challenge.  He  Avoiild 
"come  and  see."  How  many  there  are  who  make  objec- 
tions, but  they  will  not  "  come  and  see  !  "  They  have 
heard  concerning  a  certain  preacher,  perhaps,  such  and 
such  absurd  things  ;  but  another  says,  "It  is  not  £0. 
Come  and  see."  Not  they.  They  do  not  want  to  come 
and  see  :  for  they  are  unfair,  and  prefer  to  cherish  a  bad 
opinion  of  the  man.  They  have  heard  that  Calvinistic 
doctrine  is  cruel,  harsh,  and  unjust.  "  Ah  !  "  says  a 
believer  in  free  grace,  "  you  have  only  seen  a  caricature 
of  it  You  should  lead  for  yourself,  and  judge  by  Script- 
ure." Oh,  no  :  tliey  do  not  want  to  read  !  They  have 
made  up  their  minds  :  not  that  they  have  much  of  a  mind 
to  make  up  ;  if  they  had  more  mind,  it  might  take  them 
longer  to  make  it  up.  But,  having  once  m.ade  up  their 
little  mind,  they  have  no  mind  to  unmake  it ;  but  they 
prefer  to  ga  blindly  on,  whether  they  are  right  or  v/rong. 
They  know  so  much  that  they  do  not  wish  to  learn  any 
more.  Nathanael  was  not  of  that  sort.  "Come  and  see," 
was  an  invitation  which  commended  itself  to  his  judg- 
ment. "  Oh,  yes,"  said  he,  "  by  all  means  !  I  am  open 
to  conviction.  I  will  come  and  see."  I  wish  I  coidd 
prevail  on  each  one  of  my  hearers  to  search  the  Bible  for 
liimself  to  see  what  the  true  doctrine  is,  that  he  may  have 
a  firm  foundation  to  build  upon,  and  not  take  his  religion 
at  second-hand  from  another. 

Nathanael  is  on  his  way  to  see  for  himself,  when  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  turning  to  those  round  about  him, 
says,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  for  him  to  hear,  "  Behold 
an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile  !  "  Here  comes 
a  man  witli   no  craft,  no  cunnir-g  in  him.     Nathanael  is 


82  NATHANAEL. 

startled  to  find  his  real  character  so  clearly  read,  and 
somewhat  bluntly  asks,  ^'  Whence  knowest  thou  me  %  " 
I  must  do  him  the  justice  of  believing  that  he  said  it  re- 
spectfully, yet,  neverthelessj  he  curtly  said,  ^'  Whence 
knowest  thou  me  %  "  As  much  as  to  say — '^  Thou  hast 
hit  the  nail  on  the  head :  but  how  earnest  thou  to  know 
this  % "  You  see,  the  inquiry  that  was  in  his  mind  is 
soon  upon  his  tongue  ;  his  words  at  once  declare  his 
thought.  It  is  a  great  mercy  when  men  dare  speak  upon 
that  which  troubles  them.  Instead  of  letting  a  doubt  or 
a  difficulty  fester  in  their  souls,  they  bring  it  out,  that  the 
light  may  play  upon  it,  and  it  is  soon  gone- 

'^  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him,  Before  that  Philip 
called  thee,  when  thou  wast  under  the  fig  tree,  I  saw 
thee."  What  Nathanael  was  doing  mider  the  fig  tree 
I  do  not  know.  Some  think  that  he  was  there  in 
meditation  ;  others  say  in  prayer.  Very  possible,  but 
I  do  not  know,  and  the  wisest  expositors  do  not  know, 
and  you  do  not  know.  Nobody  knew  but  Jesus  and 
Nathanael.  He  was  doing  something  of  which  he 
was  not  ashamed,  but  which  he  modestly  did  not  wish 
to  have  known,  and  so  he  had  chosen  a  private  place. 
That  transaction  was  a  secret  between  himself  and  the 
Lord  his  God,  and  he  who  knew  that  secret  must  have 
come  from  God.  Perhaps  he  was  doing  nothing  there, 
but  sitting  still  before  the  Lord  in  anguish  of  spirit. 
Possibly  he  there  had  looked  towards  the  God  of  his 
fathers  with  hope,  or  had  enjoyed  hallowed  fellowship 
with  heaven.  Anyhow,  Jesus  mentioned  to  him  a  some- 
thing which  he  remembered,  and  thought  much  of, 
though  it  was  entirely  between  God  and  his  own  soul. 
Between  Jesus  and  Nathanael,  ^' under  the  fig  tree" 
served  as  a  pass-word.    They  were  kno^NOi  to  one  another 


NATHANAEL.  §3 

by  that  5  and  at  once  Nathanael  cried,  "  Rabbi,  thou  art 
the  Son  of  God ;  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel."  He  is 
fairly  won,  and  by  an  open  confession  he  commits  him- 
self at  once  to  what  he  believes.  He  is  not  ashamed  of 
his  convictions.  He  has  enlisted  beneath  the  banner  of 
the  King  of  Israel  once  for  all.  Forth  he  comes  without 
a  moment's  reservation,  with  that  blessed  confession  of 
faith—"  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God  ;  thou  art  the 
King  of  Israel.''  Our  Lord  Jesus,  charmed  with  the 
grace  which  he  had  himself  given,  delighted  with  the 
faith  which  he  had  himself  created,  answers,  "  Because  I 
said  unto  thee,  I  saw  thee  mider  the  fig  tree,  believest 
thou  ?  thou  shalt  see  greater  things  than  these."  This 
ready  convert,  so  speedily  convinced,  was  very  accepta- 
ble to  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Now,  we  have  to-night  here,  first,  one  who  helieved 
readily.  I  am  going  to  speak  of  that.  Secondly,  here 
is  one  tvho  tvas  highlij  commended  for  it:  "  Thou  shalt  see 
greater  things  than  these."  Thirdly,  here  is  one  tvJio 
might  possibly  in  after  days  he  subject  to  a  pecidiar  tempta>. 
tion  on  account  of  his  very  readiness  to  believe.  And,  last- 
ly, here  is  one  tvho,  I  doubt  not,  tvas  peculiarly  grateful ; 
and  if  there  is  another  here  like  him,  he  ought  to  be  very 
grateful  too. 

I.  First,  then,  here  IS  ONE  who  I3ELIE\t^d  eeadilt, 
The  first  time  he  saw  the  Saviour  he  was  converted  to 
the  faith.  The  first  sentences  that  were  addressed  to 
him  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  fairly  won  him  to  hearty 
faith  and  loyal  service.  AMiy  was  that  ?  Why  was  he 
so  soon  brought  to  discipleship  ? 

I  think,  perhaps,  it  was  because  he  teas  such  a  true 
man  himself  that  the  element  of  suspicion  was  not  in  his 
character.     Persons  who  are  remarkably   suspicious  and 


84  ^-''  THANAEL. 

constantly  incredulous,  are  seldom  very   truthful  them- 
selves.    If  you  follow  them  home,  you  will  discover  that 
they  are  suspicious  of  others  because  they  are  not  true 
themselves,  and  their  difficulty  in  believing  others  arises 
from  the  fact  that  they  measure  other  people's  corn  with 
their  own  bushel.     They  imagine  that  other  people  are 
as  big  liars  as  they  are  themselves.     I  believe  that  this 
IS   the  bottom  of  much  of  the  mistrust  and  questioning 
which  seethes  around  us,      Sometimes  that  suspiciousness 
comes  upon  men'.s  mmds  through  long  dealing  with  de- 
ceptive   persons.      But  if  you  find  that  a  man  began  life 
with  a  general  suspicion  and  doubt  of  others,  you  may 
conclude  that  he  was  a  born  deceiver,  radically  false  from 
his  birth.     He  judges  human  nature  from  his  experiences 
A^ithin  his  own  heart.     He  has  observed  his  own  tricki- 
ness,  and  he  thinks  that  everybody  else  is  going  to  trick 
him  :.  and  so  he  is  full  of  suspicion.     Nathanael  had  never 
taken  anybody  m,  nor  tried  to  mislead  any  one  in  his  life, 
and  therefore  he  did  not  expect  to  be  deceived.     I  won- 
der w^hether  he  was   a    sailor      I  should  think  that  he 
must  have  been,  for  sailors  are  generally  as  open  as  the 
sea  they  sail  over     He  never  said  anything  with  reserve. 
Not  he.     He  was  accustomed  to  wear  his  heart   on  his 
sleeve,  even  if  daws   did  peck  at  it.     He  coidd  not  con- 
ceal anything,  nor  think  that  others  did  so.     He  was  just 
as  honest   as   the   day }  and  so   he  came  to  the  Saviour, 
with  a  heart  that  was  open  to  faith,  ready  to  believe  him, 
I  should  think   the  very   sight   of  the   Saviour's  blessed 
face   had  half  won  him,   and  the   tone  of  that   truthful 
voice  had  moved  him  ;  but   when  it  came  to   his  laying 
bare  a  secret  in  his  life,  which  he  was   sure  that  nobody 
knew  but  himself  and  God,   then   Nathanael  yielded  to 
conviction  at  once,  and  became  a  believer  straightway. 


NA IHANAEL.  85 

Now,  I  do  hope  tliat  there  are  some  here  whom  the 
Lord  has  given,  from  their  very  birth,  a  truthful,  open- 
hearted  nature :  now  if  you  should  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ  to-night  straightAvay,  even  though  it  be  the  first 
time  you  have  ev.er  heard  of  him,  I  shall  bless  the  grace 
of  God  which  has  led  you  to  so  speedy  a  closing  in  with 
Christ.  Oh  that  the  Holy  Ghost  may  complete  the  Avork 
of  which  there  is  already  so  hopeful  a  beginning  ! 

But,  further,  this  Nathanael,  this  rapid  believer  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  had,  I  have  no  doubt,  l)cen  seek- 
ing guidance  beforehand,  and  that  guidance  lie  had  honestly 
followed.  I  should  think  that  he  had  for  years  been  ex- 
pecting the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  The  tone  of  his 
language  argues  that.  Therefore,  when  Philip  came  to 
him,  and  told  him  that  he  had  found  the  Messiah,  and 
indicated  to  him  that  he  had  better  come  and  see  for 
himself,  he  was  willing  at  once  to  come,  and  without 
delay  he  came,  with  the  view  of  seeing  for  himself  whether 
this  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  promised  one.  He  was 
not  only  candid,  but  he  was  interested.  He  was  con- 
cerned about  divine  things,  and  in  thorough  earnest  to 
know  the  truth  in  reference  to  them.  So  that  he  came 
to  Jesus  with  solemn  intent  and  eager  desire.  0  dear 
friends,  if  you  came  to  hear  the  gospel,  meaning  busi- 
ness, we  should  expect  to  see  more  of  you  converted. 
But  people  come  into  our  great  assemblies  to  see  the 
congregation,  or  to  inspect  the  building,  or  to  hear  the 
preacher  j  their  motive  is  mere  idle  curiosity.  Well,  if 
they  get  a  blessing,  we  shall  heartily  thank  God  for  it, 
and  admire  the  sovereignty  of  his  grace;  but  when  persons 
come,  as  they  often  do,  I  thank  God,  even  from  a  great 
distance,  with  tlie  desire  to  know  what  the  gospel  is,  and 
with  a  wish  to  find  the   Saviour  for  themselves,  then  we 


86  NATHANAEL. 

have  surer  hope.  These  inquirers  are  the  people  that 
are  likely  to  be  converted.  When  fish  want  to  be 
caught,  it  is  good  fishing.  When  they  are  anxious  to 
take  the  bait,  then  the  fisherman  has  fine  times.  If,  my 
dear  hearers,  you  would  come  here  saying,  "  I  ivill  go 
and  see  whether  I  can  find  salvation  ;  I  will  hear  with 
the  intention  that  the  hearing  may  be  a  means  of  grace 
to  my  soul,"  none  of  you  would  come  long  in  vain  where 
Christ  Jesus  is  faithfully  preached.  If  you  come  with  a 
desire  of  tmderstanding  and  knowing  him,  he  will  come 
and  reveal  himself  to  you.  This  was  one  main  reason 
why  Nathanael  so  speedily  believed — that  he  came  mean- 
ing business,  having  sought  guidance,  and  desiring  really 
to  find  the  Messiah  of  whom  Philip  had  spoken. 

Observe  that  lie  ivas  satisfied  ivith  one  piece  of  clear  evi- 
cJence.  That  one  item  of  evidence  convinced  him.  The 
Lord  Jesus  said,  ^'  Before  that  Philip  called  thee,  when 
thou  wast  under  the  fig  tree,  I  saw  thee."  Nobody  knew 
that  he  had  been  imder  the  fig  tree  except  the  Lord,  who 
sees  all  things.  No  mortal  living  was  aware  of  what 
Nathanael  had  done,  or  thought,  or  purposed  in  that 
shady  retreat.  When  Jesus,  therefore,  wdth  a  peculiar 
look,  said  ^^  I  saw  thee,"  Xathanael  also  saw  him  that 
spake  to  him.  ^'  Godhead  alone  could  speak  thus,"  said 
he  :  "  there  is  the  Spirit  of  God  in  that  man.  He  knows 
the  secret  things  of  my  life.  He  has  revealed  me  to  my- 
self." "Rabbi,"  said  he,  "thou  art  the  Son  of  God  j 
thou  art  the  King  of  Israel."  The  conclusion  was  a  sound 
one,  but  how  speedily  it  was  reached ! 

One  argument,  if  it  is  sound,  is  enough.  If  a  matter 
is  in  dispute,  and  if  one  man  can  solemnly  declare  that 
he  saw  such  and  such  a  thing,  and  that  one  man  is  of 
high  repute,  his  evidence  is  sufiicient  for  a  truthful  man 


NA  TJ/ANAEL.  87 

to  rest  upon.  Twenty  may  come  and  say  that  they  think 
it  is  so-and-so,  but  twenty  weak  links  will  not  make  a 
strong  chain  ;  and  I  would  rather  trust  to  one  solid  link 
than  I  would  trust  to  a  chain  of  twenty  worn  and  rusted 
links,  each  one  of  which  is  ready  to  snap.  If  it  is  so,  it 
is  so.  If  it  IS  not  so,  it  is  not  so.  If  a  man  has  proved 
anything  to  me  by  one  infallible  proof,  that  is  enough. 
Hence,  I  believe  that  those  who  come  to  Christ  on  one 
bit  of  evidence  are  justified  in  so  doing.  They  afterwards 
receive  a  host  of  confirming  evidences,  but  one  is  quite 
enough  for  them  to  begin  with.  Oh,  that  I  might  have 
some  to-night  who  shall  hear  in  this  sermon  some  one 
thing  which  shall  strike  them  as  being  of  the  Lord !  I 
pray  that  some  secret  matter,  which  I  do  not  personally 
know,  shall  yet  be  uttered  by  me,  so  that  my  hearers  will 
say  to  themselves,  "  How  came  that  to  be  spoken  ?  That 
fits  me  exactly,  yet  the  minister  could  not  have  known  it. 
God  must  have  spoken  to  me.  Only  the  Lord  knew  what 
I  did  in  the  back  kitchen.  Only  he  knew  what  I  was 
thinking  of  this  afternoon ;  but,  speaking  through  his 
servant,  he  has  touched  a  secret  spring  and  opened  a 
drawer  in  my  cabinet  that  nobody  knew  of  save  myself ! 
This  is  the  finger  of  God."  God  grant  that  some  may  thus 
be  led  to  Jesus  Christ  by  one  piece  of  evidence,  and  may 
not  tarry  to  feel  fifty  impressions  on  their  hearts.  Oh, 
that  you  would  not  wait  for  whole  weeks  of  invitations, 
and  months  of  pressure,  and  years  of  expostulation  ;  but 
oh,  that  you  would  yield  to-night  !  Sometimes,  in  war- 
fare, cities  have  been  taken  without  a  shot  being  fired. 
The  valiant  men  have  come  up  to  the  gates,  and  they 
have  said,  ^'  Capitulate,  and  you  shall  be  spared  ; "  and 
the  townsmen  have  opened  wide  their  gates.  I  know 
that  many  other  cities  have  had  to  be  battered  till  there 


88  NATHANAEL. 

has  been  scarcefy  a  house  without  tokens  of  shot  and 
shell  5  but  what  has  been  their  gain  when  they  have  been 
captured  after  all?  Do  not  let  it  be  so  with  your  souls,  but 
yield  at  once  to  the  conquering  Saviour,  who  comes  forth 
in  the  robes  of  his  glorious  grace,  and  bids  you  yield ; 
and  promises  that,  if  you  accept  his  sceptre,  you  shall  see 
the  greatness  of  his  grace. 

Notice,  however,  that  although  Nathanael  yielded  at 
once  and  believed  on  one  bit  of  evidence,  yet  Ins  faith 
went  a  long  ivay  !  He  did  not  merely  say,  "  Rabbi,  I 
believe  that  thou  art  the  Messiah,"  but  he  said,  '^  Thou 
art  the  Son  of  God."  This  was  farther  than  anybody 
else  had  gone  at  that  time,  so  far  as  I  remember.  He 
added,  ^'  Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel ;"  and  this  again 
was  a  great  declaration  to  make.  He  worshipped  Jesus, 
and  he  crowned  him.  He  owned  him  as  God,  and  he 
magnified  him  as  King.  Do  not  suppose  that  the  faith 
which  is  quickly  born  is  therefore  weakly,  Nay,  but 
that  faith  which  comes  suddenly  and  quickly  is  often  the 
very  best  and  strongest  faith  in  all  the  world  ;  and  I  trust 
that  some  of  you  may  prove  it  to  be  so  to-night  by  flying 
to  Christ  at  once,  as  the  doves  fly  to  their  windows,  and 
resting  in  him  till  you  find  fulness  of  peace. 

Thus  much  concerning  the  Israelite  indeed  who  be- 
lieved readily. 

II.  In  the  second  place,  here  is  one  who  was  highly 

COMMEXDED. 

Tlte  Lord  Jesus  oivned  Ms  faith  to  he  true  faith.  He 
said,  ^^  Believest  thou  ?  "  but  he  meant  that  he  perceived 
that  he  truly  believed.  He  owned  that,  though  his  faith 
was  born  then  and  there,  it  was  the  genuine  article, 
Christ  owns,  as  true  faith,  that  faith  which  is  not  long  in 
coming.     Fear  not;  dear  hearer,  that  if  thou  believest 


N  I  TIIANAEL.  89 

off-hand   at   this  very  moment   tlij   faith  will  be  any  the 
less  sincere  and  effectual. 

Jesus  did  more  than  own  it  to  be  faith.  He  commended 
it  as  rarely  excellent.  He  spoke  as  if  he  were  astonished. 
"  Because  1  said,  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig  tree,  believest 
thou  f  " — as  much  as  to  say,  "  Many  see  me  work  mir- 
acles, and  do  not  believe  ;  dost  thou  believe  so  soon  ? 
They  see  me  heal  lepers,  and  raise  the  dead,  and  yet 
they  will  not  believe  ;  but  thou  believest  merely  because 
I  said,  1  saw  thee  under  the  fig  tree."  He  is  charmed 
witli  him  for  his  readiness  to  own  the  truth.  Why, 
tliere  are  some  young  people  who  come  to  Christ  and  be- 
lieve in  him  by  some  one  little  word  from  their  mother  ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  there  are  men  and  women  who 
have  been  for  fifty  years  hearers  of  the  gospel,  and  yet 
have  not  believed.  Now,  the  Christ  has  an  admiration 
of  those  who  readily,  willingly,  obediently,  and  cheerfidly 
come,  making  no  questions,  raising  no  difficulties,  but  on 
comparatively  slender  evidence,  that  evidence  being  quite 
sufficient,  yield  their  fidl  trust  to  Jesus  Christ  their  Lord. 

And  our  blessed  Lord  was  so  pleased  ivith  this  ready 
faith,  that  he  made  a  promise  to  NathanaeL  Said  he, 
^^  Thou  shalt  see  greater  things  than  these.  If  thou  canst 
see  so  much  in  my  one  saying,  that  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig 
tree,  thou  hast  the  kind  of  eyes  that  are  fit  to  see  great 
sights."  He  that  will  see  shall  see,  but  he  that  closes 
his  eyes  shall  be  blinded.  Many  are  the  people  in  this 
world  who,  if  you  show  them  the  greatest  marvel,  do  not 
wonder.  They  look  at  it,  and  see  nothing.  When  you 
meet  with  such  an  unobservant  person,  you  say  to  your- 
self, "  I  sliall  not  show  that  man  anything  more.  It  does 
not  pay  to  unveil  rarities  to  him,  he  has  no  appreciation 
of  them."     But  here  is  another  who,  when  you  show  him 


90  A'^  THANAEL. 

some  curio  that  you  have  in  your  house,  is  pleased  with 
it,  and  spies  out  at  once  the  excellence  and  beauty  of  it- 
You  say,  "  I  have  something  more  which  I  will  gladly 
show  you  !  '^  When  your  visitor  appreciates  your  choice 
treasiu'e,  you  say  to  him,  ^^  I  will  unlock  all  my  cabinets. 
I  will  take  you  into  my  private  room,  and  every  little 
thing  I  have  that  can  interest  you,  you  shall  see,  because 
1  perceive  that  you  have  eyes,  and  a  mind  which  finds 
gratification  in  rare  curiosities,"  Oh,  you  that  readily 
believe  in  Christ,  you  are  the  men  to  whom  Christ  will 
make  known  his  secrets  !  Those  of  you  who  are  ^^  fools, 
and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  "  must  mend  your  manners, 
or  the  Holy  Spirit  will  never  lead  you  into  the  mysteries 
of  the  kingdom.  Did  not  Jesus  say  to  one  who  came  to 
him  by  night,  ^^If  I  have  told  you  earthly  things,  and  ye 
believe  not,  how  shall  ye  believe  if  I  tell  you  of  heavenly 
things  % "  But,  you  Israelites  indeed,  you  quick  be- 
lievers, to  you  will  he  reveal  himself  as  the  ladder  that 
father  Jacob  saw,'  reaching  from  earth  to  heaven,  upon 
which  the  angels  ascend  and  descend  between  God  and 
his  chosen.  You  shall  see  the  deep  things  of  God.  You 
are  the  people  out  of  whom  he  will  make  such  men  as 
John,  who,  in  Patmos,  beheld  a  glorious  Apocalypse.  O 
my  beloved  hearers,  may  it  be  so  with. you !  Because 
your  faith  so  readily  chimes  in  with  what  Christ  reveals, 
may  you  have  visions  of  God,  and  may  none  of  you  be  so 
dull  of  heart  that  it  shall  be  said,  ^^  He  coidd  not  show 
them  many  mighty  works  because  of  their  unbelief !  " 

III.  I  have  thus  spoken,  and  I  come,  thirdly,  to  notice 
that  HERE    IS   A   MAN  WHO  MIGHT   POSSIBLY  BE  TROUBLED 

WITH  A  PECULIAR  TEMPTATION.     People  of  this  kind  are 
subject  to  a  special  trial,  with  which  I  will  now  deal. 
In  this  church  a  considerable  number  of  us,  beginning 


NA  THANAEL  91 

with  the  pastor,  came  to  Christ  after  an  awful  amount  of 
conviction  and  despondency.  We  are  none  tlie  better 
for  this  but  we  are  at  least  free  from  one  particular 
temptation  of  the  evil  one.  Oh,  how  I  look  back  upon 
those  times  in  which  I  felt  my  bondage,  but  could  not  at- 
tain to  liberty — those  days  in  which  Christ  Avas  preached 
to  me,  but  I  could  not  hear  him,  and  I  wandered  up  and 
down  everywhere  before  I  found  peace  !  In  this  church, 
and  in  the  officers  of  the  church  among  the  deacons,  there 
is  especially  one  dear  brother  who  sometimes  can  hardly 
understand  me  when  I  speak  about  the  difficidties  some 
have  in  coming  to  Christ,  for  he  never  experienced  them. 
You  all  know  him,  one  of  the  sweetest  and  best  of  men  ; 
but  he  came  to  Jesus  Christ  as  a  boy  readily  enough. 
He  heard  the  gospel,  and  he  believed  it,  and  without  any 
sort  of  terror  he  rejoiced  in  the  Lord,  and  he  continues 
to  do  so  to  this  day.  He  is  none  the  worse  saint  for  this, 
but  in  some  respects  all  the  better.  I  know,  however, 
what  is  the  peculiar  temptation  of  those  who  come  so 
readily  to  Christ.  The  devil  comes  to  them,  and  he  says, 
^^  Now,  look  you.  You  have  read  Mr.  Bunyan^s  ^  Grace 
Abounding/  have  you  not  %  "  ^^  Yes,"  says  the  good 
man.  *'  Well,"  says  he,  ^^  you  never  went  through  the 
like  battle  and  struggle.'^  "Xo,  I  never  did."  "Then," 
says  he,  "  You  are  no  child  of  God.  You  see,  you  were 
easily  converted :  there  was  no  deep  work  in  your  soul, 
You  came  to  Jesus  Christ  one  sunshiny  day,  and  you 
will  go  away  from  him  one  dark  day.  You  are  like  the 
stony-ground  hearer,  the  seed  sprang  up  in  you  on  a  sud- 
den, because  there  was  no  depth  of  earth,  and  you  will 
soon  die  away  when  the  sun  is  risen  with  fervent  heat." 
Now,  the  next  time  the  devil  comes  to  any  of  you  with 
that,  I  want  you  to  talk  to  him,  if  he  is  worth  it,  for  your 


92  ^'-i  THANAEL. 

own  good.  I  want  you  to  quench  the  fiery  dart  which  he 
will  fling  at  you.  It  is  true  that  many  come  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  under  extreme  difficulties,  and  are  long  before  they 
can  rest  in  faith  ;  but  you  must  not  compare  yourself 
with  others,  nor  expect  that  the  work  of  God  will  take 
precisely  the  same  shape  in  every  heart.  Some,  like 
Nicodemus,  say,  '^  How  can  these  things  be  ?"  but  others 
believe  in  Jesus  as  readily  as  Kathanael  did,  and  they 
come  just  as  truly,  just  as  really,  just  as  lastingly  as 
those  who  find  it  difficidt  to  come. 

Let  me  help  you  with  a  few  considerations.  .  Those  you 
have  read  of,  who  came  to  Christ  under  so  much  terror, 
it  may  he  that  they  had  some  other  trouble  at  the  same  timCy 
as  well  as  the  trouble  of  their  conscience.  Perhaps,  in 
addition  to  being  convinced  of  sin,  they  were  suffering 
from  poverty,  or  sickness,  or  dyspepsia,  or  remorse,  or 
some  other  vexation  of  spirit.  Discern  carefully  between 
spiritual  trouble  and  temporal  trouble.  Temporal  trouble 
may  help  to  aggravate  the  spiritual,  but  it  is  not  a  neces- 
sary part  of  it,  but  very  much  the  reverse.  It  may  in- 
crease the  apparent  depth  of  the  work  of  repentance,  but 
it  may  detract  from  its  real  worth. 

In  the  next  pla/:»e,  it  may  be,  and  probably  is  the  fact, 
that  those  who  found  so  much  difficulty  in  coming  to 
Christ  ivere  tvorried  by  Satan.  Perhaps  he  injected  into 
their  minds  blasphemous  thoughts,  or  he  suggested  doubts 
concerning  the  Scriptures,  or  the  truth  of  God.  Because 
they  were  just  escaping  from  his  power  he  worried  them 
most  maliciously.  Do  you  want  to  be  worried  in  that 
way  ?  Do  you  think  that  there  is  any  advantage  in 
Satan's  attacks  ?  If  you  can  get  to  Christ  without  them, 
ought  you  not  to  be  thankful  to  escape  them  I  How  can 
you  desire  an  affliction   so  utterly  undesirable  ?     How 


NATHA.WiEL.  93 

Can  yoii  wish  to  feel  that  wliich  those  who  suflPer  from  it 
would  give  their  eyes  to  be  rid  of?  I  beseech  you,  do 
be  reasonable. 

In  many  persons  their  difficidties  in  coming  to  Christ 
were  caused  very  largely  hy  their  melancholy  temperament. 
We  are  not  all  alike  cheerful  by  natural  constitution. 
Why,  here  is  one  man  who  is  bright-eyed  by  nature,  and 
when  he  is  down  he  is  higher  up  than  others  are  when 
they  are  up.  He  is  always  bright  and  hopeful.  Yonder 
is  another  brother  who  seems  inevitably  to  take  a  dark 
view  of  matters.  He  is  an  unhappily  constituted  person  ; 
a  person  with  whom  it  is  not  easy  to  live,  except  m  a  very 
large  hotel,  m  which  the  dinner-table  is  many  yards  long. 
You  know  and  avoid  the  style  of  man.  If  there  is  a 
melancholy  disposition,  it  tends  to  darken  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  heart,  and  whereas  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  makes  the  man  sorrowfid,  his  own  melancholy 
disposition,  perhaps  caused  by  mental  disease,  darkens 
that  sorrow  into  black  despair.  Few  of  us  are  per- 
fectly sane.  In  fact,  I  do  not  think  anybody  is  alto- 
gether so,  1  see  you  smile,  but  I  am  not  jesting :  we 
have  each  one  a  peculiarity  which  we  could  hardly  de- 
fend by  the  rules  of  strict  reasoning.  Have  we  not  ? 
We  are  all  a  little  ^'  touched '^  by  that  black  hand  which 
sin  stretched  out  Avhen  it  shook  our  universal  manhood 
in  all  its  faculties.  Some  are  touched  with  melancholy 
from  their  birth,  aad  so  a  part  of  their  great  terror  when 
under  conviction  may  arise  from  the  fact  that  they  are 
not  absolutely  free  to  form  a  hopeful  judgment.  Why 
should  you  wish  to  be  like  them  ?  What  can  there  be 
desirable  about  feelings  which  spring  from  a  disease  ? 

Again,  there  is  no  doubt  that  many  in  coming  to  Christ 
are  greatly  troubled  because  they  are  ignorant.     They  do 


94  ^^'^  THANAEL. 

not  know  that  which  would  comfort  them  if  they  did  but 
know  it.  They  are  vexed  with  fears  which  woukl  not 
exist  if  they  were  better  acquainted  with  Scripture.  If 
they  knew  more  of  the  doctrines  of  grace  they  would  not 
be  vexed  with  the  fears  which  their  ignorance  creates. 
You  who  are  taught  in  the  Word  are  all  the  more  likely 
to  find  speedy  peace.  Now,  dear  friends,  do  you  want 
to  be  bothered  with  fears  which  only  spring  out  of  ignor- 
ance %  Must  it  not  be  much  better  for  you,  having  a 
clearer  light  and  a  brighter  knowledge,  to  say,  ^'  Yes^ 
that  is  it.  I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  am  saved > 
Blessed  be  his  name  !  I  ask  no  questions.  I  believe, 
and  am  saved  at  once  %  " 

May  it  not  also  be  that  those  who  are  so  hard  put  to  it 
in-  coming  to  Christ  are  ivithoid  the  lieljis  that  you  have  f 
Perhaps  they  cannot  read.  Possibly  they  have  nobody 
to  explain  the  Scriptures  to  them.  They  may  be  misled 
by  their  religious  guides,  and  have  no  one  to  keep  them 
out  of  the  ditch.  It  may  be  that  they  are  placed  where 
they  are  rather  hindered  than  helped  ;  they  have  no 
Sunday-school  teacher,  no  Christian  friend  to  sympathize 
with  them  ;  and  so  they  have  a  hard  fight  of  it.  Many  a 
man  who  is  wounded  in  battle  is  soon  restored,  because 
the  surgeon  takes  him  up  as  soon  as  the  bidlet  lays  him 
low  ;  whereas  the  womid  of  another,  who  has  to  lie  and 
bleed  for  hours,  will  prove  far  more  serious.  Do  you  not 
think  that  you  ought  to  be  very  thankful  that  you  have 
so  many  things  to  help  you,  and  that  thus  you  the  more 
readily  come  to  Christ  I 

Very  possibly,  too,  many  of  those  who  had  those  terrors 
and  horrors  in  coming  to  Christ,  as  I  had  myself,  must 
lay  them  to  the  door  of  their  unheiief  Had  they  believed, 
they  might  have  had  comfort  long  before  ;  but  they  went 


NA  7IIANAEL.  95 

to  the  law  for  comfort,  or  tliey  looked  to  feelings  instead 
of  looking  to  Christ,  and  so  they  remained  in  darkness. 
Now,  if  you  have  the  privilege  of  believing  at  once,  as  I 
pray  you  may  have,  should  you  not  be  glad  of  it,  and, 
instead  of  envying  those  others,  should  you  not  thank 
God  that  you  were  brought  to  find  Jesus  Christ  by  so 
smmy  and  speedy  a  route  % 

There  is  a  story  that  I  have  told  you  before,  but  I 
must  tell  it  to  you  again,  for  I  do  not  know  anything 
better.  A  young  man  in  Edinburgh  went  out,  and  he 
thought  he  would  speak  about  Jesus  to  the  first  person 
that  he  met  with.  He  met  a  IMusselburgh  fishwife  carry- 
ing a  great  load  on  her  back.  I  cannot  speak  Scotch:  I 
have  not  that  useful  acquirement ;  so  I  will  put  the  con- 
versation into  English.  He  said  to  her,  '•''  Here  you  are 
with  your  burden."  *^  Ay,"  said  she.  ^^  Well,"  he  said, 
'''-  did  you  ever  feel  a  spiritual  burden  ?  "  '^  kj^^  said 
she,  "  that  I  did,  long  ago,  long  ago,  and  I  soon  got  rid 
of  it ;  for  I  did  not  go  the  same  way  to  work  that  John 
Bunyan's  pilgrim  did."  ^^  Oh,"  thought  the  young  man, 
"  I  hoped  that  I  had  met  with  a  Christian  woman,  but 
she  must  be  a  great  heretic  to  talk  in  that  way."  *'Now," 
said  she,  '''•  Bmiyan's  Evangelist  that  he  speaks  of  was 
not  half  a  gospel  preacher.  He  was  one  of  the  usual 
sort.  He  was  not  clear  in  the  gospel  ;  for  when  he  met 
with  the  poor  pilgrim,  weary  with  his  burden,  he  said  to 
him,  ^  Do  you  see  that  wicket-gate  %  '  ^  No,'  said  the 
man,  ^  I  do  not  see  it.'  ^  Do  you  see  that  light  over  the 
gate?'  ^Well,'  he  said,  '\  think  I  do.'  ^  Now,'  he 
said,  S^ou  run  that  way  with  your  burden.'  Why  man," 
said  she,  ^'  that  was  not  the  way  to  do  at  all.  What  had 
that  man  to  do  with  the  wicket-gate  or  with  the  light 
over  it  %     The  gospel  does  not  say  rim   to  a  gate  or  a 


96  NATHANAEL. 

light.  What  he  should  have  said  was,  ^  Do  you  see  that 
cross  %  Look  at  that,  and  your  burden  Ayill  fall  from 
your  shoulder.'  I  looked  straight  away  to  the  cross,  and 
not  to  the  wicket-gate  j  and  at  the  cross  I  lost  my  burden. 
Now,"  said  she,  ^'  what  did  pilgrim  get  by  going  round  to 
the  wicket-gate  %  lie  tumbled  mto  the  Slough  of  De- 
spond, and  was  like  to  have  lost  his  life  there."  '^  Ah  !" 
said  the  young  man,  '^  did  you  never  go  through  the 
Slough  of  Despond  ?  "  '^Ah,  yes!"  she  said,  ^' I  have 
been  through  that  slough  many  a  time  j  but,  let  me  tell 
you,  it  is  much  better  to  go  through  it  with  your  burden 
off  than  it  is  with  your  burden  on  "  And  so  it  is  I  do  not 
want  any  of  you  to  attempt  to  flounder  through  the  Slough 
of  Despond  with  your  burden  on  I  want  you  to  have  done 
w4th  the  Slough  of  Despond,  and  the  wicket- gate,  and  all 
that  bother,  and  just  look  to  Christ  alone  ,  for  salvation 
lies  in  a  look  at  him,  and  there  is  salvation  in  none  other 
Peace  comes  to  sinners  by  nothing  else  but  faith  in  Jesus, 
All  else  is  vam,  be  it  what  it  may  Frames  and  feelingS; 
sinkings  and  risings,  doings  and  frettmgs — all  these  may 
go  for  nothing  Believe  m  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt 
be  saved.  This  is  God's  short  way  to  heaven,  and 
blessed  is  he  who  knows  how  to  take  it  " 

Listen  yet  once  more.  Thou  say  est,  ''  But  I  have 
heard  of  some  who  endured  a  dreadfid  law  work  within 
their  soids  They  were  ploughed  and  cut  up  dreadfully, 
and  I  never  was"  I  will  further  tell  thee  tnat  certain 
persons  need  rougher  handling  than  others  The  needle 
in  surgery  will  do  for  certain  cases,  whereas  the  lancet 
is  wanted  for  others.  If  the  Lord  can  with  a  needle  do 
for  thee  all  that  is  needed,  why  dost  thou  ask  more?  The 
Lord  required  to  take  the  knife  to  me,  and  art  thou  go- 
ing to  fret  because  thou  hast  never  felt  the  deep  gashes 


NATHANAEL.  97 

which  made  me  cry  out  in  agony  ?  I  pray  thee,  be  not 
such  a  fool :  I  cannot  speak  a  softer  word  if  thou  hast  a 
craving  after  anguish. 

Again,  the  Lord  may  deal  roughly  with  some  because 
lie  means  to  qualify  them  for  comforting  despairing  souls. 
lie  puts  his  servants  through  the  furnace  when  he 
means  them  to  work  at  pulling  others  out  of  the  fire.  He 
chastens  them  every  morning  because  he  means  to  make 
Barnabases  of  them,  that  they  may  be  sons  of  consolation 
to  souls  in  distress.  I  have  been  through  the  thick  dark- 
ness at  times  for  your  sakes.  If  ever  a  soul  was  in  a 
horror  of  great  darkness,  I  was  one  day  when  I  preached 
in  this  pulpit  from  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me  ?  "  I  coidd  not  understand  why  I  felt  in 
such  an  awful  state  as  I  did,  till  that  evening  there  came 
into  the  vestry  a  man  whose  hair  seemed  to  stand  on  end. 
He  looked  at  me,  and  said,  "  I  have  never  found  a 
preacher  that  met  my  experience  before."  We  sat  down 
and  he  told  out  his  tale  of  woe.  I  rescued  that  man,  by 
seasonable  comfort,  from  being  sent  to  a  lunatic  asylum, 
and  perhaps  from  committing  suicide  ;  and  then  I  said  to 
the  Lord  my  God,  "  Let  me  go  through  the  fire  again,  if 
it  will  help  me  to  meet  the  case  of  thy  poor  afilicted 
children.  Let  me  feel  the  horror  of  great  darkness,  if  so 
I  may  thereby  find  light  with  which  to  cheer  the  victims 
of  despair."  But  you,  my  dear  brother,  my  dear  sister, 
may  not  be  called  thus  to  cut  your  way  through  the  for- 
ests of  sorrow  as  the  pioneer  of  others.  You  are  not  sent 
to  be  a  guide  to  thousands,  but  quietly  to  pursue  your 
own  lowly  way ;  and  why  do  you  want  all  this  painful 
experience  "I  You  cannot  make  use  of  it ;  be  thankful 
that  you  are  spared  the  ordeal.  Those  who  have  to  be 
champions  must  be  trained  for  war  after  a  sterner  sort 


98  A'^  TJIANAEL. 

than  those  who  only  make  up  the  rank  and  file  of  the 
army.  If  thy  Lord  means  to  lead  thee  only  as  sheep  at 
his  heel  into  the  green  pastures,  by  the  still  waters,  thou 
wilt  see  but  little  of  the  war,  and  little  of  the  rough  side 
of  the  march  ;  and  why  shouldst  thou  be  so  stupid  as  to 
desire  distress,  and  condemn  thyself  because  thou  hast  it 
not  ?  Be  a  Nathanael,  Take  the  happier  and  better 
side,  and  believe  thou  thy  God  without  a  doubt  or  a  quib- 
ble ;  and  go  thou  to  heaven  following  the  Lamb  whither- 
soever he  goeth,  without  doubt  or  fear. 

I  was  going  to  have  another  head,  but  I  think  that  1 
will  not.  I  will  venture  no  fui'ther,  but  close  with  a  word 
to  sinners,  although  I  have  in  truth  been  speaking  to 
them  all  through  my  discourse. 

Hear  me,  thou  that  wouldst  be  saved.  The  way  of 
salvation  is  by  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  that 
is,  by  trusting  him.  There  are  tAvo  things  I  have  to  say 
to  thee.  First,  God  commands  thee  to  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ :  and,  secondly,  nothing  thou  canst  do  will  please 
••?od  so  much  as  for  thee  at  once  to  believe  in  his  only- 
^tegotten  Son,  whom  he  has  set  forth  to  be  the  propitia- 
tion for  sin. 

These  are  two  strong  things  to  say,  and  so  I  will  not 
say  them,  of  myself,  but  give  you  God's  Word  for  them. 
Please  note  these  texts  down,  all  of  you.  First  Epistle 
General  of  John,  third  chapter,  twenty-third  verse : — 
'^  And  this  is  his  commandment,  that  we  should  believe 
on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ."  Let  me  tell  you 
where  it  is  again.  First  Epistle  of  John,  third  chapter, 
twenty-third  verse  : — ^^  This  is  his  commandment,  that 
we  should  believe  on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ." 
If  thou  art  commanded  to  do  it,  do  it.  If  thou  hast  sal- 
vation promised  thee  when  thou  dost  believe  on  the  name 


NA  TllANAEL  99 

of  Jesus,  wliy  tlien  believe,  and  have  salvation.  Believe 
on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  That  is  the  first 
point.      God  commands  thee  :    wilt  thou  disobey  % 

The  second  thing  I  said  was  that  notliing  thou  canst 
do  will  please  God  so  much  as  for  thee  now  to  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Look  at  the  sixth  chapter  of  John's  gos- 
pel, and  the  twenty-eighth  and  twenty-ninth  verses. 
There  you  have  it.  ^'  Then  said  they  unto  him.  What 
shall  we  do,   that   we  might  work  the  works  of  God  f  '^ 

They  meant,  "  What  are  the  best  works,  the  works 
most  pleasing  to  God  ? ''  ^^  Jesus  answered  and  said 
unto  them.  This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  on 
him  whom  he  hath  sent."  If  you  could  build  a  row  of 
alms-houses,  or  endow  a  church,  or  pay  the  salaries  of  a 
hundred  missionaries,  it  would  not  half  so  well  please  God 
as  for  you  to  believe  on  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  Trust 
Christ,  and  thou  hast  worshipped  God  as  acceptably  as 
cherubim  and  seraphim.  Trust  Christ,  and  thou  hast 
brouo-ht  unto  the  Lord  that  which  will  charm  him  more 
than  the  hallelujahs  which,  day  without  night,  circle  his 
throne  with  praise.  Thou  poor  guilty  man,  thou  poor 
guilty  woman,  humble,  unknown,  obscure,  a  nobody,  God 
bids  thee  trust  his  Son,  and  assiu'es  thee  that  this  will 
please  him  more  than  all  else  thou  canst  do  !  Wilt  thou 
not  do  it  %  Oh,  end  your  ramblings  ;  end  your  strivings  ; 
end  your  seekings.  Come  and  trust  my  Lord  Jesus, 
and  thou  shalt  receive  eternal  life.  Your  frettings,  and 
your  hopings,  and  your  doubtings,  your  comings,  and 
your  goings — end  them  all  by  simply  trusting  Jesus,  and 
it  is  finished  :  thou  art  saved  from  wrath,  and  the  life  of 
holiness  has  begmi  in  thee.  Now  shalt  thou  live  after  a 
nobler  sort.  Now  shalt  thou  be  filled  with  good  works  to 
the  praise  of  his  glory,   seeing  thou  art  no  more  trusting 


100  ^^-i-  THANAEL. 

in  them.  I  beseech  thee  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
alone,  and  thou  shalt  receive  power  to  become  a  child  of 
God. 

May  the  Lord  bless  you,  dear  friends  !  May  we  all 
meet  in  heaven,  the  whole  company  of  us,  without  excep- 
tion, for  Jesus  Christ's  sake  !     Amen. 


CURED   AT   LAST. 

April  8,  1888. 

"  And  a  wonican  haring  an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years,  -which 
had  spent  all  her  living  upon  physicians,  neither  could  be  healed 
of  any,  came  behind  him,  and  touched  the  border  of  his  garment: 
and  immediately  her  issue  of  blood  stanched." — Luke  viii.  43,  44. 

Though  I  take  Luke's  statement  as  a  text^  I  sliall  con- 
stantly refer  to  the  version  of  the  same  story  which  we 
find  in  Mark  v.  25  to  29. 

Here  we  have  one  of  the  Lord's  hidden  ones  :  a  case 
not  to  be  publicly  described  because  of  its  secret  sorrow. 
We  have  here  a  woman  of  few  words  and  much  shame- 
facedness.  Her  malady  subjected  her  to  grievous  penal- 
ties according  to  the  ceremonial  law.  There  is  a  terri- 
ble chapter  in  the  Book  of  Leviticus  concerning  such  a 
case  as  hers.  She  was  unclean ;  everything  that  she  sat 
upon,  and  all  who  touched  it,  shared  in  the  defilement. 
So  that,  in  addition  to  her  continual  weakness,  she  was 
made  to  feel  herself  an  outcast,  under  the  ban  of  the  law. 
This  created,  no  doubt,  great  loneliness  of  spirit,  and 
made  her  wish  to  hide  herself  out  of  sight.  Ln  the  narra- 
tive before  us  she  said  not  a  word  until  the  Saviour  drew 
it  out  of  her,  for  her  own  lasting  good.  She  acted  very 
practically  and  promptly,  but  she  was  a  silent  seeker  :  she 
would  have  preferred  to  have  remained  in  obscurity,  if  so 
it  could  have  been.  Some  here  may  belong  to  the  great 
company  of  the  timid  and  trembling  ones.   If  courage  before 

(101) 


102  CURED  AT  LAST. 

others  is  needed  to  secure  salvation,  matters  will  go  hard 
with  them,  for  they  shrink  from  notice,  and  are  ready  to 
die  of  shame  because  of  their  secret  grief  Cowper's 
hymn  describes  their  inward  feelings,  when  it  says  of  the 
woman — 

"Concealed  amid  the  gathering  throng, 
She  \Tonhl  have  shiinn'd  thy  view, 
And  if  her  faith  was  firm  and  strong, 
Had  strong  misgivings  too." 

Such  plants  grow  in  the  shade,  and  shrink  from  the  light 
of  the  sun.  The  nature  of  their  sorrow  forces  them  into 
solitary  self-communion.  Oh^  that  the  Lord  may  heal 
such  at  this  hour  ! 

The  immediate  cure  of  this  woman  is  the  more  remark- 
able because  it  was  a  wayside  miracle.  The  Saviour  was 
on  the  road  to  restore  the  daughter  of  Jairus ;  this 
woman's  healing  was  an  extra  of  grace,  a  sort  of  over- 
splash  of  the  great  fountain  of  mercy.  The  cup  of  our 
Lord's  power  was  full — full  to  the  brim — and  he  was 
bearing  it  to  the  house  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue ; 
this  poor  creature  did  but  receive  a  drop  which  he  spilt 
on  the  way.  We  do  well  if,  when  going  upon  some 
errand  of  love,  we  concentrate  all  our  energy  upon  it, 
and  do  it  well  in  the  end  :  but  the  Sa^dour  coidd  not 
only  perform  one  great  marvel,  but  he  could  work  another 
as  a  sort  of  by-play  incidentally — I  had  almost  said,  acci- 
dentally, on  the  road.  The  episodes  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
are  as  beautiful  as  the  main  rmi  of  his  life's  poem.  Oh, 
that  this  day,  while  my  sermon  may  seem  meant  for  one, 
and  distinctly  directed  to  his  salvation,  it  may  also,  by 
the  power  of  Jesus,  save  another  not  so  clearly  pointed 
at !     While  the  word  is  aimed  at  one  particular  charac- 


CURED  AT  LAST.  103 

ter,  may  the  Lord  cause  the  very  wind  of  the  gospel  shot 
to  overcome  another  :  or  to  change  the  figure  for  a  bet- 
ter one,  while  we  spread  the  table  for  some  bidden  guest, 
may  another  hungry  soul  have  grace  given  him  to  take 
his  place  at  the  banquet  of  grace  !  May  those  who  hide 
away,  and  whom,  therefore,  we  are  not  likely  to  discover, 
come  forth  to  Jesus,  and  touch  him,  and  live ! 

Let  us  at  once  speak  of  this  much-afflicted  woman,  for 
she  is  a  typical  character.  While  we  describe  her  con- 
duct and  licr  cure,  I  trust  she  may  serve  as  a  looking- 
glass  in  Avhich  many  tremblers  may  see  themselves.  We 
shall  carefully  note  ivliat  she  had  done,  and  then  tvhat 
came  of  it  This  will  lead  us  on  to  see  tvhat  she  did  at 
last,  and  tvhat  ive  also  should  do.  May  the  Holy  Spirit 
make  this  a  very  practical  discourse  by  causing  you  to 
follow  her  till  you  gain  the  blessing  as  she  did!  The 
preacher  is  very  weak ;  and  may  the  Lord,  for  this  very 
reason,  work  by  him  to  your  salvation. 

Consider,  therefore,  concerning  this  woman,  what  she 
HAD  DONE.  She  had  been  literally  dying  for  twelve 
years.  What  had  she  been  doing  ?  Had  she  resigned 
herself  to  her  fate,  or  treated  her  malady  as  a  small 
matter  ?  Far  from  it.  Her  conduct  is  highly  instruc- 
tive. 

First,  she  had  resolved  not  to  die  if  a  cure  could  he  had. 
She  was  evidently  a  woman  of  great  determination  and 
hopefulness.  She  knew  that  this  disease  of  hers  would 
cause  her  life  to  ebb  away,  and  bring  her  to  the  grave  ; 
but  she  said  within  herself,  "  I  will  have  a  struggle  for 
it.  If  there  is  a  possibility  of  removing  this  plague  it 
shall  be  removed,  let  it  cost  me  what  it  may  of  pain  or 
payment."  Oh,  what  a  blessing  it  woidd  be  if  unsaved 
ones  here  would  say  each  one  for  himself;  ^'  I  am  a  lost 


104  CURED  AT  LAST. 

soiil ;  but  if  a  lost  soul  can  be  saved,  I  will  be  saved.  I 
am  guilty  ;  but  if  guilt  can  be  washed  away,  mine  sliall  be 
washed  away.  I  have  a  hard  heart  and  I  know  it ;  but  if  a 
heart  of  stone  can  be  turned  into  a  heart  of  flesh,  I  long  to 
have  it  so,  and  I  will  never  rest  until  this  gracious  work  is 
wrought  in  me  !  "  Alas,  it  is  not  so  with  many  !  Indif- 
ference is  the  rule ;  indifference  about  their  immortal 
souls  !  Many  are  sick  with  dire  spiritual  disease,  but 
they  make  no  resolve  to  have  it  cured ;  they  trifle  with 
sin,  and  death,  and  heaven  and  hell. 

Insensibility  has  seized  upon  many,  and  a  proud  con- 
ceit :  they  are  full  of  sin,  and  yet  they  talk  of  self- 
righteousness.  They  are  weak,  and  can  do  nothing  ;  yet 
they  boast  of  their  ability.  They  are  not  conscious  of 
their  true  condition,  and  hence  they  have  no  mind  to 
seek  a  cure.  How  should  they  desire  healing  when  they 
do  not  believe  that  they  are  diseased  %  How  sad  that 
beneath  the  ruddy  cheek  of  morality  there  should  lurk 
the  fatal  consumption  of  enmity  to  God  !  How  horrible 
to  be  fair  without  and  leprous  within  !  Are  there  not 
many  who  can  talk  freely  about  religion,  and  seem  as  if 
they  were  right  Avith  God,  and  yet  in  the  secret  of  their 
hearts  they  arc  the  victims  of  an  insincerity,  and  a  want 
of  truth,  which  fatally  undermine  the  life  of  their  profes- 
sion. They  are  not  what  they  seem  to  be  :  a  secret  sin 
drains  away  the  life-blood  of  their  religion.  May  the 
Holy  Spirit  show  every  unregenerate  person  the  fatal 
nature  of  his  soul's  disease  ;  for  this,  I  trust,  would  lead 
to  the  making  of  a  firm  resolve  to  find  salvation,  if  salva- 
tion is  to  be  had. 

No  doubt  some  are  held  back  from  such  action  by  the 
freezing  power  of  despair.  They  have  reached  the  con- 
clusion that  there  is  no  hope  for  them.     The  promises  of 


CURED  AT  LAST.  105 

tlie  gospel  thoy  regard  as  the  voice  of  God  to  others,  hut 
as  haying  no  cheering  word  for  them.  One  might  sup- 
pose that  they  Lj.d  searched  the  book  of  life,  and  had 
made  sure  that  their  names  were  not  written  there  ;  they 
act  as  if  their  death-warrant  had  been  signed.  They 
cannot  believe  in  the  possibility  of  their  becoming  par- 
takers of  everlasting  life.  They  are  under  a  destroying 
delusion,  which  leads  them  to  abandon  hope.  None  are 
more  presumptuous  than  the  despairing.  "When  men 
have  no  hope,  they  soon  have  no  fear.  Is  not  this  a 
dreadful  thing  f  May  the  Lord  save  you  from  such  a 
condition !  Despair  of  God's  mercy  is  an  unreasonable 
thing  ;  if  you  think  you  have  grounds  for  it,  the  lying 
spirit  must  have  suggested  them  to  you.  Holy  Scripture 
contains  no  justification  for  hopelessness.  No  mortal  hath 
a  just  pretence  to  perish  in  despair.  Neither  the  nature 
of  God,  nor  the  gospel  of  Gpd,  nor  the  Christ  of  God, 
warrant  despair.  Multitudes  of  texts  encourage  hope  ; 
but  no  one  Scripture,  rightly  understood,  permits  a  doubt 
of  the  mercy  of  God.  ^^  All  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy 
shall  be  forgiven  unto  men."  Jesus,  the  great  Healer,  is 
never  baffled  by  any  disease  of  human  nature  :  he  can 
cast  out  a  legion  of  devils,  and  raise  the  dead.  Oh  that 
I  could  whisper  hope  into  the  didl  ear  of  yonder  mourner! 
Oh  that  I  could  drop  a  rousing  thought  into  the  sullen 
heart  of  the  self-condemned  !  How  glad  shoidd  I  be  ! 
My  poor  desponding  friend,  I  would  fain  see  thy  chains 
snapped,  thy  fetters  broken  off!  Oh  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  would  cause  thee,  like  this  woman,  to  resolve  that 
if  there  be  healing  for  thy  soul  thou  wilt  have  it ! 

Alas  !  many  have  never  come  to  this  gracious  resolu- 
tion, because  they  cherish  a  vain  hope,  and  are  misled 
by  an  idle  dream.     They  fancy  that  salvation  will  come 


106  CURED  AT  LAST. 

to  them  without  their  seeking  it.  Certainly,  they  have 
no  right  to  expect  such  a  thing.  It  is  true  that  our  Lord 
is  found  of  them  that  sought  him  notp-«.but  that  is  an  act 
of  his  own  sovereignty,  and  is  not  a  ride  for  our 
procedure.  The  plain  directions  of  the  gospel  are, 
^^Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found;  call  ye 
upon  him  while  he  is  near."  How  dare  they  set  these 
gracious  words  aside  %  They  fancy  that  they  may  wake 
up,  one  of  these  fine  days,  and  find  themselves  saved. 
Alas  !  it  may  more  likely  happen  to  them,  as  to  the  rich 
man  in  the  parable,  ^^  In  hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  being  in 
torments."  God  grant  that  none  of  you  may  trifle  your 
souls  into  such  misery  !  Some  fancy  that  in  the  article 
of  death,  they  may  cry,  ^^  God  be  mercifid  to  me  a  sin- 
ner," and  so  may  leap  into  salvation.  It  seems  to  them 
a  very  slight  business  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  They 
imagine  that  they  can  be  converted  just  when  they  will, 
and  so  they  put  it  off  from  day  to  day,  as  if  it  were  of  no 
more  consequence  than  going  to  shop  to  buy  a  coat  or  a 
gown.  Believe  me,  the  Word  of  God  does  not  set  forth 
the  matter  in  this  way.  It  tells  us  that  even  the  right- 
eous scarcely  are  saved,  and  it  rouses  us  to  strive  to  en- 
ter in  at  the  strait  gate.  God  save  you  from  every  false 
confidence  which  would  prevent  your  being  in  earnest 
about  the  healing  of  your  souls.  Spiritually,  your  case 
is  as  desperate  as  that  of  the  poor  woman  now  before  us. 
May  the  Lord  sweetly  constrain  you  to  feel  that  you  must 
be  healed,  and  that  you  cannot  afford  to  put  oft'  the  blessed 
day  !  If  beneath  the  firmament  of  heaven  there  is  heal- 
ing for  a  sin-sick  soul,  seek  it  till  you  find  it.  When  the 
Lord  brings  you  to  this  resolve  by  his  good  Spu'it,  you 
will  not  be  far  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Let  us  next  note,  that  that  this  tvoman  having  made  her 


CURED  AT  LAST.  107 

resolvcj  adopted  the  likeliest  means  she  coidd  thinJc  of. 
Physicians  are  men  set  apart  on  purpose  to  deal  with 
human  maladies,  therefore  she  went  to  the  physicians. 
What  better  could  she  do  ?  Though  she  failed,  yet  she 
did  what  seemed  most  likely  to  succeed.  Now,  when  a 
soul  is  resolved  to  find  salvation,  it  is  most  fit  and  proper' 
that  it  should  use  every  likely  means  for  the  finding  of 
salvation.  Oh,  that  they  were  wise  enough  to  hear  the 
gospel,  and  to  come  at  once  to  Jesus  ;  but  often  they 
make  grave  mistakes.  This  woman  w^ent  to  gentlemen 
who  were  supposed  to  understand  the  science  of  medicine. 
Was  it  not  natural  that  she  should  look  for  help  to  their 
superior  wisdam  ?  She  cannot  be  blamed  for  looking  to 
the  men  of  light  and  leading.  Many,  in  these  days,  do 
the  same  thing.  They  hear  of  the  new  discoveries  of 
professedly  cultured  men,  and  hear  their  talk  about  the 
littleness  of  sin,  and  the  larger  hope,  and  the  non-neces- 
sity of  the  new  birth.  Poor  deceived  creatures  !  they 
find  in  the  long  run  that  nothing  comes  of  it ;  for  the 
wisdom  of  man  is  nothing  but  pretentious  folly.  The 
world  by  wisdom  knows  neither  God  nor  his  salvation. 
Many  there  are  who  know  all  the  less  of  saving  truth 
because  they  know  so  much  of  what  human  fancy  has 
devised,  and  human  search  discovered.  We  cannot 
blame  the  woman  that,  being  a  simple  soul  and  anxious 
for  healing,  she  went  to  those  first  who  were  thought  to 
know  most.  Let  us  not,  with  Christ  so  near,  go  round- 
about as  she  did,  but  let  us  touch  our  Lord  at  once. 

No  doubt  the  sufi'erer  also  tried  men  who  had  diplomas, 
or  were  otherwise  authorized  to  act  as  physicians.  How 
can  you  blame  her  for  going  to  those  wdio  were  in  the 
succession,  and  had  the  official  stamp  ?  Many  sin-sick 
souls  nowadays  are,   at  firsts  very  hopeful  that  the  or= 


108  CURED  AT  LAST. 

dained  clergy  can  benefit  them  by  their  duly  performed 
services  and  duly  administered  sacraments.  At  least, 
good  men,  eminent  in  the  church,  may  be  looked  to  for  aid; 
surely  these  know  how  to  deal  with  souls  !  Alas  !  it  is 
vain  to  look  to  men  at  all,  and  foolish  to  depend  on  official 
dignity,  or  special  repute.  Some  teachers  do  not  know 
much  about  their  own  souls,  and  therefore  know  less 
about  the  souls  of  others.  Vain  is  the  help  of  man,  be 
the  man  who  he  may.  Whatever  his  popularity,  learning, 
or  eloquence,  if  you  seek  to  him  for  his  prayers,  or  his 
teachings,  as  able  to  save  you,  you  will  certainly  seek  in 
vain  ;  as  this  poor  woman  did.  She  is  not  to  be  blamed, 
but  to  be  commended,  that  she  did  what  seemed  best  to 
her,  according  to  her  light ;  but  you  are  warned  ;  go 
not,  therefore,  to  men. 

No  doubt  she  met  with  some  who  boasted  that  they 
could  heal  her  complaint  at  once.  They  began  by  say- 
ing, '•'-  You  have  tried  So-and-so,  but  he  is  a  mere  quack ; 
mine  is  a  scientific  remedy.  You  have  used  a  medicine 
which  I  could  have  told  you  would  be  worthless  ;  but  I 
have  the  secret.  Put  yourself  absolutely  into  my  hands, 
and  the  thing  is  done.  I  have  healed  many  that  have 
been  given  up  by  all  the  faculty.  Follow  my  orders, 
and  you  will  be  restored."  Sick  persons  are  so  eager  to 
recover  that  they  readily  take  the  bait  which  is  offered 
them  by  brazen  impudence.  An  oily  tongue  and  a  bland 
manner,  backed  with  unblushing  assurance,  are  sure  to 
win  their  way  with  one  who  is  anxious  to  gain  that  which 
is  offered.  Ah,  me  !  ^^  All  is  not  gold  that  glitters  ;  '^ 
and  all  the  professions  which  are  made  of  helping  sin- 
sick  souls  are  not  true  professions.  Many  pretenders  to 
new  revelations  are  abroad,  but  they  are  physicians  of  no 
value.     There  is  no  balm  in  Gilead  ;  there  is  no  physi- 


CURED  AT  LAST.  109 

cian  there  :  if  there  had  been,  the  hurt  of  the  daughter 
of  my  people  had  long  ago  been  healed.  There  is  no 
medicine  beneath  the  sky  that  can  stay  the  palpitations  of 
a  heart  which  dreads  the  judgment  to  come.  No  earthly 
surgery  can  take  away  the  load  of  sin  from  the  con- 
science. No  hand  of  priest  or  presbyter,  prophet,  or 
philosopher,  can  cleanse  the  leprosy  of  guilt.  The  finger 
of  God  is  wanted  here.  There  is  one  Heal-all,  one  di- 
vine Catliolicon,  and  only  one.  Happy  is  he  that  hath 
received  this  infallible  balm  from  Jehovah  Rophi — the 
Lord  that  healeth.  Yet  we  marvel  not  that  when  souls 
are  pressed  down  with  a  sense  of  guilt,  they  try  anything 
and  everything  which  oiFers  even  a  faint  hope  of  relief. 
I  could  wish  that  all  my  hearers  had  an  intense  zeal  to 
find  salvation  :  for  even  if  it  led  them  into  passing  mis- 
takes, yet,  under  God's  blessing,  they  woidd  find  their 
way  out  of  them,  and  end  by  glorifying  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  never  fails. 

This  ivoman,  in  the  next  place,  having  resolved  not  to 
die,  if  cure  could  be  had,  and  having  adopted  the  likeli- 
est means,  persevered  in  the  use  of  those  means.  No  doubt 
she  tried  many,  and  even  opposite  remedies.  One  doctor 
said,  ^'  You  had  better  go  to  the  warm  baths  of  the  lake 
of  Tiberias  ;  such  bathing  will  be  comfortable  and  help- 
ful." She  grew  w^orse  at  the  warm  bath,  and  went  to 
another  physician,  who  said,  ^'  You  were  wrongly  treat- 
ed ;  you  need  bracing  up  in  the  cold  baths  of  the  Jor- 
dan." Thus  she  went  from  vanity  to  vanity,  to  find 
both  of  them  useless.  An  eminent  practitioner  assured 
her  that  she  needed  an  internal  remedy,  and  he  alone 
coidd  give  her  an  infallible  receipt.  This,  however,  was 
of  no  use  to  her ;  and  sho  went  to  another,  who  said  that 
an  external  application  should  be  tried;  such  as  Isaiah's 


110  CURED  AT  LAST. 

lump  of  figs.  What  perseverance  tliat  woman  must  have 
had  !  I  am  not  going  to  say  anything  about  our  doctors 
nowadays,  no  doubt  they  are  the  most  learned  and  skilful 
that  can  be  :  but  in  earlier  times  sm-gery  was  murderous, 
and  medicines  were  poisonous.  Many  of  the  prescrip- 
tions of  those  days  are  sickening,  and  yet  ridiculous.  I 
read  yesterday  a  prescription,  of  our  Saviour's  time,  war- 
ranted to  cure  many  diseases,  which  consisted  of  grass- 
hopper's eggs.  These  were  supposed  to  exercise  a  mar- 
vellous influence,  but  they  are  no  longer  in  the  list  of 
medicines.  The  tooth  of  a  fox  was  said  to  possess 
special  powers  ;  but  I  noticed  that  one  of  the  chief  drugs 
of  all,  the  most  expensive,  but  the  surest  in  its  action, 
was  a  nail  from  the  finger  of  a  man  who  had  been  hanged. 
It  was  important  that  he  shoidd  have  been  hanged  : 
another  finger-nail  might  have  had  no  efficacy.  Poor 
creatures  were  made  to  sirffer  most  painfully  by  cruel 
medicines,  which  were  far  worse  than  the  disease.  As 
for  surgical  operations,  if  they  had  been  designed  to  kill, 
they  were  certainly  admirably  arranged  for  that  purpose. 
The  wonder  is  that  for  twelve  years  poor  human  nature 
could  stand  out,  not  against  the  disease,  but  against  the 
doctors.  Brethren,  the  case  is  much  the  same  spiritually. 
How  many  mider  their  burden  of  sin  go  first  to  one,  and 
then  to  another  ;  practise  this,  and  agonize  after  that, 
and  pine  for  the  other,  perseveringly,  and  still  without 
avail !  Travel  as  fast  as  you  may  in  a  wrong  direction, 
you  will  not  reach  the  place  you  seek.  Vain  are  all 
things  save  Jesus  our  Lord. 

Have  you  been  to  Doctor  Ceremony  ?  He  is,  at  this 
time,  the  fashionable  doctor.  Has  he  told  you  that  you 
must  attend  to  forms  and  rules  %  Has  he  prescribed  you 
so  many  prayers,  and  so  many  services  %     Ah  !  many  go 


CURED  AT  LAST.  \l\ 

to  him,  and  tlicy  persevere  in  a  roimd  of  religious  ob- 
servances, but  these  3/ield  no  lasting  ease  to  the  con- 
science. Have  you  tried  Doctor  ^Morality  %  He  has  a 
large  practice,  and  is  a  fine  old  Jewish  physician.  ^^  Be 
good  in  outward  character,"  says  he,  ^^and  it  will  work 
inwardly,  and  cleanse  the  heart  !  "  A  great  many  joer- 
sons  are  supposed  to  have  been  cured  by  him  and  by  his 
assistant,  Doctor  Civility,  who  is  nearly  as  clever  as  his 
master  :  but  I  have  it  on  good  evidence  that  neither  of 
thein  apart,  nor  even  tlie  two  together,  coidd  ever  deal 
with  an  inward  disease.  Do  what  you  may,  your  own 
doings  will  not  stanch  the  wounds  of  a  bleeding  heart. 
Doctor  Mortification  has  also  a  select  practice ;  but  men 
are  not  saved  by  denying  themselves  until  they  first  deny 
their  self-righteousness.  Doctor  Excitement  has  many 
patients,  but  his  cures  seldom  outlive  the  set  of  sun. 
Doctor  Feeling  is  much  sought  after  by  tender  spirits ; 
these  try  to  feel  sorrow  and  remorse  ;  but,  indeed,  the 
way  of  cure  does  not  lie  in  that  quarter.  Let  everything 
be  done  that  can  be  done  apart  from  our  blessed  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  sick  soul  will  be  nothing  bettered. 
You  may  try  human  remedies  for  the  space  of  a  lifetime, 
but  sin  will  remain  in  power,  guilt  will  cling  to  the  con- 
science, and  the  heart  will  abide  as  hard  as  ever. 

But  this  woman  not  only  thus  tried  the  most  likely 
means  and  persevered  in  the  use  of  them,  but  she  also 
spent  all  her  substance  over  it.  That  was  perhaps  the 
chief  thing  in  ancient  surgery  ! — this  golden  ointment 
which  did  good  to  the  physician,  whatever  became  of  the 
patient.  The  most  important  point  was  to  pay  the  doctor. 
This  woman's  living  was  wasting  away  as  well  as  her 
life.  She  continued  to  pay,  and  to  pay,  and  to  pay  ;  but 
she  received  no  benefit  from  it  ail ;  say,  rather,  that  she 


112  CURED  AT  LAST. 

suffered  more   than   she   woukl    have  done  had  she   kept 
her  gold.     Thus  do  men  waste  their  thought,  their  care, 
their  prayer,    their  agony  over   that  which    is  nothing  - 
they  spend  their  money   for  that  which  is  not  bread.     At 
last  she  came  to  her  last  shekel.     In  the   end  there  was 
an  end  to   her  means  ;  but  so  long  as  the  silver  lasted, 
she  lavished  it  out  of  the  bag.     What  would  not  a  man 
give  to  be  saved  ?     I  never  wonder  that  dying  men  give 
their  estates  to    priests  in  the  hope  that  they  can   save 
their  souls.     If  gold  could  purchase  pardon,  who  would 
withhold  it  %     Health  of  body,  if  it  could  be  purchased 
with  gold,   would  be  cheap   at  any  price  ;  but  health  of 
soul,  holiness   of  character,  acceptance  with  God,  assur- 
ance of  heaven — these  would  be  cheap  if  we  counted  out 
worlds  as   poor  men  pay  down  their  pence   for  bread. 
There  are  men  so  mean  that  they  would  not  part  with  a 
pound  for  a  place  in   Paradise  ;  but  if  these  once  knew 
their  true  condition,  they  woidd  alter  their  minds.      The 
price  of  wisdom  is   above  rubies.     If  we  had  mines  of 
gold,  Ave   might   profitably  barter  them  for  the  salvation 
of  our  souls. 

Beloved,  you  see  where  this  woman  was.  She  was  in 
downright,  desperate  earnest  to  have  her  mortal  malady 
healed,  and  so  she  spared  neither  her  labor  nor  her  liv- 
ing.    In  this  we  may  wisely  imitate  her. 

II.  We  have  seen  what  the  woman  had  done  ;  now 
let  us  think  of  WHAT  HAD  COME  OF  IT.  We  are  told 
that  she  had  suifered  many  things  of  many  physicians. 
That  was  her  sole  reward  for  trusting  and  spending  :  she 
had  not  been  relieved,  much  less  healed  ;  but  she  had  suf- 
fered. She  had  endured  much  additional  suffering 
through  seeking  a  cure.  That  is  the  case  with  you  who 
have  not  come  to  Christ,  but,  being  imder  a  sense  of  •sin, 


CURED  AT  LAST.  II3 

have  sought  relief  apart  from  him.  All  that  you  do  apart 
from  Jesus,  in  order  to  win  salvation,  will  only  cause  you 
increased  suffering.  You  have  tried  to  save  yourself  by 
prayers  :  your  prayers  have  turned  your  thoughts  upon 
your  sin  and  its  punishment,  and  thus  you  have  become 
more  wretched  than  before.  You  have  attended  to  cere- 
monies, and  if  you  have  used  them  sincerely,  they  have 
wrought  in  you  a  solemn  sense  of  the  hoHness  of  God, 
and  of  your  own  distance  from  him ;  and  this,  though 
very  proper,  has  only  increased  your  sorrow.  You 
have  been  trying  to  feel  good,  and  to  do  good,  that  so 
you  may  be  good  ;  but  the  very  effort  has  made  you  feel 
how  far  off  you  are  from  the  goodness  you  so  much  desire. 
Your  self-denial  has  excited  cravings  after  evil,  and  your 
mortifications  have  given  new  life  to  your  pride.  Efforts 
after  salvation,  made  in  your  own  strength,  act  like  the 
struggles  of  a  drowning  man,  which  sink  the  more  surely. 
As  the  fruit  of  your  desperate  efforts,  you  have  suf- 
fered all  the  more.  In  the  end,  I  trust  this  may  work 
for  your  good,  but  up  till  now  it  has  served  no  healing 
purpose  :  you  are  now  at  death's  door,  and  all  your 
praying,  weeping,  church-going,  chapel-going,  and  sacra- 
ment-taking, do  not  help  you  one  bit. 

There  has  been  this  peculiarly  poignant  pang  about  it 
all,  that  you  are  nothing  heUered.  Cheerily  did  you  hope, 
but  cruelly  are  you  disappointed.  You  cried,  '^  I  have  it 
this  time,"  but  the  bubble  vanished  as  you  grasped  it. 
The  evil  of  your  nature,  when  repressed  in  one  place, 
broke  out  in  another.  You  dealt  with  the  symptoms  of 
your  disease,  but  you  did  not  cut  off  the  root  of  the  mis- 
chief :  it  only  showed  itself  in  another  form,  but  it  never 
went  away.  You  gave  up  one  sin  only  to  fall  into 
another  i    you  v/atched  at  the   front  entrance,  and  the 


114  CURED  AT  LAST. 

thief  stole  in  at  the  back  door.  Up  till  now,  O  soul,  thou 
hast  not  come  to  Jesus,  and  after  all  thy  goings  else- 
where, thou  art  nothing  bettered  ! 

And  now,  perhaps,  this  morning  you  are  saying, 
''  What  can  I  do  %  What  shall  I  do  ?  ^^  I  will  tell  you. 
You  can  do  nothing  except  vrhat  this  woman  ultimately 
did,  of  whicli  I  will  speak  by-and-by.  You  are  now 
brought  to  this  extremity — that  you  are  without  strength, 
without  merit,  without  power,  and  you  must  look  out  of 
yourself  to  another,  who  has  strength  and  merit,  and  can 
save  you.  God  grant  that  you  may  look  to  that  glorious 
One  before  this  service  is  over ! 

We  read  of  this  woman,  that  though  she  suffered  much, 
she  was  nothing  bettered,  but  rather  grew  ivorse.  No 
better  after  twelve  years  of  medicine  ?  She  went  to  the 
Egyptian  doctor  and  he  promised  her  health  in  three 
months.  She  was  worse.  She  tried  the  Syrian  doctor  : 
he  was  a  man  who  had  great  knowledge  of  the  occult 
sciences,  and  was  not  ashamed  to  practice  enchantments. 
She  was  bitterly  disappointed  to  find  herself  decidedly 
weaker.  Then  she  heard  of  a  Greek  practitioner,  who 
would  cure  her,  heigh  presto  !  in  a  trice.  She  paid  her 
remaining  money,  but  she  still  went  backward.  She 
bought  disappointment  very  dearly.  Friend,  is  this  your 
condition  ?  You  are  anxious  to  be  right,  and  therefore, 
you  are  earnest  in  every  effort  to  save  yourself;  but  still 
you  are  nothing  bettered.  You  climb  a  treadmill,  and 
are  no  higher  after  all  you  climbing.  You  drift  down 
the  river  with  one  tide,  and  you  float  uj3  again  when  it 
turns.  Night  after  night  you  pull  up  in  the  same  old 
creek  that  you  started  from.  Oh,  pitiful  condition  ! 
Getting  grey,  too  :  becoming  quite  the  old  gentleman  ; 
and  yet  no  nearer  eternal  life  than  when,  as  a  lad,  you 


CURED  AT  LAST.  115 

used  to  attend  tlio  house  of  God,  and  wish  to  become  a 
child  of  God.  Nothing  bettered  %  No  ;  she  grew  worse  ! 
Fresh  mischief  had  developed :  other  diseases  fed  upon 
her  weakness ;  she  was  more  emaciated,  more  lifeless 
than  ever.  Sad  result  of  so  much  perseverance  !  And 
is  not  that  the  case  with  some  of  you  who  are  in  earnest, 
but  are  not  enlightened  I  You  are  working,  and  growing 
poorer  as  you  work.  There  is  not  about  you  so  much  as 
there  used  to  be  of  good  feeling,  or  sincere  desire,  or 
pray  erf ulness,  or  love  for  the  Bible,  or  care  to  hear  the 
gospel.  You  are  becoming  more  careless,  more  dubious 
than  you  once  were.  You  have  lost  much  of  your  former 
sensitiveness.  You  are  doing  certain  things  now  that 
would  have  startled  you  years  ago,  and  you  are  leaving 
certain  matters  undone  which  once  you  would  have 
thought  essential.  Evidently  you  are  caught  in  the  cur- 
rent, and  are  nearing  the  cataract.  The  Lord  deliver 
you ! 

This  is  a  sad,  sad  case  !  As  a  climax  of  it  all,  the 
heroine  of  our  story  had  now  sj)Q)it  all  that  she  had.  She 
could  not  go  now  to  the  Egyptian  doctor,  or  to  the  Syrian 
doctor,  or  to  the  Hebrew  doctor,  or  to  the  Roman  doc- 
tor, or  to  the  Greek  doctor.  No  ;  now  she  must  do  with- 
out their  flattering  unction  in  the  future.  As  for  those 
famous  medicines  which  raised  her  hopes,  she  can  buy 
no  more  of  such  costly  inventions.  This  was,  perhaps, 
her  bitterest  grief:  but  let  me  whisper  it  in  your  ear — - 
this  was  the  best  thing  that  had  yet  happened  to  her ; 
and  I  am  praying  that  it  may  happen  to  some  of  you. 
At  the  bottom  of  your  purse  I  trust  you  will  And  wisdom. 
When  we  come  to  the  end  of  self  we  come  to  the  begin- 
ning of  Christ.  That  last  shekel  binds  us  to  the  pretend- 
ers, but  absolute  bankruptcy   sets  us  free   to   go   to*  him 


116  CURED  AT  LAST. 

v^^lio  heals  diseases  without  money  and  without  prica 
Glad  enough  am  I  when  I  meet  with  a  man  who  is  starved 
out  of  self-sufficiency.  Welcome,  brother !  Now  you 
are  ready  for  Jesus.  When  all  your  own  virtue  has  gone 
out  of  you,  then  shall  you  seek  and  find  that  virtue 
which  goeth  out  of  him. 

III.  This  brings  to  our  notice,  in  the  third  place,  what 
THIS  WOMAN  DID  AT  LAST.  Weaker  and  weaker  had 
she  become,  and  her  pui'se  had  become  lighter  and 
lighter.  She  hears  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man  sent  of 
God  who  is  healing  sick  folk  of  all  sorts.  She  hears  at- 
tentively ;  she  puts  the  stories  together  that  she  hears  ; 
she  believes  them  ;  they  have  the  likeness  of  truth  about 
them.  '•'•  Oh,"  says  she,  "  there  is  yet  another  oppor- 
tunity for  me.  I  will  get  in  the  crowd,  and  if  I  can  only 
touch  the  bit  of  blue  which  he  wears  as  the  border  of  his 
garment,  I  shall  be  made  whole."  Splendid  faith  !  It 
was  thought  much  of  in  her  own  day,  and  we  may  stiU 
more  highly  prize  it  now  that  faith  has  grown  so  rare. 

Note  well  she  resolved  to  trust  in  Jesus  in  sheer  despair 
of  doing  anything  else.  My  dear  friend,  I  do  not  know 
where  you  are  sitting  this  morning  in  this  great  con- 
gregation— I  almost  wish  I  did,  that  I  might  come  up  to 
you  and  say  to  you  personally,  "  Try  Jesus  Christ,  trust 
him,  and  see  whether  he  will  not  save  you.  Every 
other  door  is  evidently  shut  :  why  not  enter  by  Christ 
the  door  f  There  is  no  other  life-buoy  j  lay  hold  on 
this  !     Say  with  our  versifier — 

*'  I  can  but  jjerisli  if  I  go ; 
I  am  resolved  to  try ; 
For  if  I  stay  away,  I  know 
I  must  for  ever  die," 

Exefcise  the  courage  which  is  born  of  desperation.     May 


CURED  AT  LAST.  II7 

God  the  Holy  Spirit  help  you  now  to  thrust  forth  your 
finger,  and  get  into  touch  with  Jesus  !  Say,  '^  Yes,  I 
freely  accept  Christ.  By  God's  grace,  I  will  have  him 
to  be  my  only  hope.  I  will  have  him  now."  Be  driven 
to  Jesus  by  force  of  circumstances.  Since  there  is  no 
other  port,  0  weather-beaten  barque,  make  for  this  one  ! 
Wanderer,  here  is  a  refuge  !  Turn  in  hither,  for  there 
is  no  other  shelter. 

After  all,  this  was  the  simplest  and  easiest  thing  that  she 
could  do.  Touch  Jesus.  Put  out  thy  finger,  and  touch 
the  hem  of  his  garment.  The  prescriptions  she  had 
purchased  were  long  ;  but  this  was  short  enough.  The 
operations  performed  upon  her  had  been  intricate  ;  but 
this  was  simplicity  itself.  The  suffering  she  had  endured 
had  complicated  her  case  ;  but  this  was  as  plain  as  a 
pikestaff.  "  Touch  with  your  finger  the  hem  of  his  gar- 
ment !  that  is  all.'^  0  my  hearer,  yeu  have  tried  many 
things,  great  things,  and  hard  things,  and  painful  things; 
why  not  try  this  simple  matter  of  faith  ?  Believe  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  -be  saved.  Trust  Jesus 
to  cleanse  you,  and  he  will  do  it.  Put  yourself  into  your 
Saviour's  hands  once  for  all,  and  he  will  save  you. 

Not  only  was  this  the  simplest  and  easiest  thing  for  the 
poor  afilicted  one,  but  certainly  it  tvas  the  freest  and  most 
gracious.  There  was  not  a  penny  to  pay.  Nobody  stood 
at  the  door  of  the  consulting-room  to  take  her  guinea  ; 
and  the  good  physician  did  not  even  give  a  hint  that  he 
expected  a  reward.  The  gifts  of  Jesus  are  free  as  the 
air.  He  healed  this  believing  woman  in  the  open  street, 
in  the  midst  of  the  crewd.  She  had  felt  that  if  she  could 
but  get  into  the  throng,  she  w^ould,  by  hook  or  by  crook, 
get  near  enough  to  reach  the  hem  of  liis  garment,  and 
then  she  would  be  healed.     It  is  so  this  morning,  dear 


118  CURED  AT  LAST. 

hearer.  Come,  and  receive  grace  freely.  Bring  no  good 
works,  no  good  words,  no  good  feelings,  no  good  resolves, 
as  the  price  of  pardon ;  come  with  an  empty  hand,  and 
touch  the  Lord  by  faith.  The  good  things  which  you 
desire,  Jesus  will  ^w^  you  as  the  residt  of  his  cure  ;  but 
they  cannot  be  the  cause  or  the  price  of  it.  Accept  his 
mercy  as  the  gift  of  his  love  !  Come  empty  handed,  and 
receive !  Come  undeserving,  and  be  favored  I  Only 
come  into  contact  with  Jesus,  who  is  the  fountain  of  life 
and  health,  and  you  shall  be  saved. 

This  ivas  the  quietest  thing  for  her  to  do.  She  said 
nothing.  She  did  not  cry  aloud  like  the  blind  men. 
She  did  not  ask  friends  to  look  on,  and  see  her  make  her 
venture.  She  kept  her  own  counsel,  and  pushed  into  the 
press.  In  absolute  silence,  she  took  a  stolen  touch  of  the 
Lord's  robe.  0  my  hearer,  you  can  be  saved  in  silence. 
You  have  no  need  to  speak  to  any  person  of  your  ac- 
quaintance, not  even  to  mother  or  father.  At  this  mo- 
ment, while  in  the  pew,  believe  and  live.  Nobody  will 
know  that  you  now  are  touching  the  Lord.  Li  after  days 
you  will  own  your  faith,  but  in  the  act  itself  you  will  be 
alone  and  unseen.  Believe  on  Jesus.  Trust  yourself 
with  him.  Have  done  with  all  other  confidences,  and  say, 
^^  He  is  all  my  salvation."  Take  Jesus  at  once,  if  not 
with  a  hand's  grasp,  yet  with  a  finger's  touch.  0  you 
poor,  timid,  bashful  creature,  touch  the  Lord  !  Trust  in 
his  power  to  save.  Do  not  let  me  tell  you  to  do  it  in 
vain,  but  do  it  at  once.  INIay  God's  Spirit  cause  you  to 
accept  Jesus  now ! 

This  is  the  only  effectual  thing.  Touch  Jesus,  and  sal- 
vation is  yours  at  once.  Simple  as  faith  is,  it  is  never 
failing.  A  touch  of  the  fringe  of  the  Saviour^s  garment 
sufficed :  in  a  moment  she  felt  in  her  body  that  she  was 


CURED   /iT  LAST.  119 

healed  of  that  plague.  ^'  It  is  twelve  years  ago,"  she 
said  to  herself,  ^^  since  I  felt  like  a  living  woman.  I 
have  been  sinkiiig  in  a  constant  death  all  this  while,  but 
now  I  feel  my  strength  come  back  to  me."  Blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  great  Healer  !  She  was  exceeding  glad. 
Tremble  she  did,  lest  it  shoidd  turn  out  to  be  too  good  to 
be  true ;  but  she  was  most  surely  healed.  O  my  dear 
hearer,  do  trust  my  Lord,  for  he  will  surely  do  for  you 
that  which  none  other  can  achieve.  Leave  feeling  and 
working,  and  try  faith  in  Jesus.  May  the  Holy  Spirit 
lead  you  to  do  so  at  once  ! 

IV.  And  now,  poor  convicted  sinner  !  here  comes  the 
driving  home  of  the  nail.  Do  Tiiou  AS  this  woman 
DID.  Ask  nobody  about  it,  but  do  it.  She  did  not  go  to 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  and  say,  ''  Good  sirs,  advise 
me."  She  did  not  beg  from  them  an  introduction  to  Jesus, 
but  she  went  of  her  own  accord,  and  tried  for  herself 
the  virtue  of  a  touch.  You  have  had  advising  enough  ; 
now  come  to  real  work.  There  is  too  much  tendency  to 
console  ourselves  by  conversations  with  godly  men  :  let 
us  get  away  from  them,  and  speak  to  their  Master.  Talks 
in  the  inquiry-room,  and  chats  with  Christian  neighbors, 
are  all  very  well  5  but  one  touch  of  Jesus  will  be  infinitely 
better,  I  do  not  blame  you  for  seeking  religious  advice: 
this  may  be  a  half-way  house  to  call  at,  but  do  not  make 
it  the  terminus.  Press  on  till,  by  personal  faith,  you 
have  laid  hold  on  Jesus.  Do  not  tell  anybody  what  you 
are  about  to  do  ;  wait  till  it  is  done.  Another  day  you 
vv'ill  be  happy  to  tell  the  minister  and  God's  people  of 
what  the  Lord  has  done  for  you  ;  but  for  the  present, 
quietly  believe  in  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world. 

Do  not  even  ask  yourself  about  it.     If  this  poor  woman 


120  CURED  AT  LAST. 

had  consulted  witb  herself,  she  might  never  have  ven- 
tured so  near  the  holy  one  of  God.  So  clearly  shut  out 
from  society  by  the  law  of  her  people  and  her  God,  if 
she  had  given  the  matter  a  secoi-d  thought,  she  might 
have  abandoned  the  idea.  Blessed  was  the  impetuosity 
which  thrust  her  into  the  crowd,  and  kept  her  head  above 
the  throng,  and  her  face  towards  the  Lord  in  the  centre 
of  the  press.  She  did  not  so  much  reason  as  dare.  Do 
not  ask  yourself  anything  about  it ;  but  do  it.  Believe, 
and  have  done  with  it.  Stop  not  to  parley  with  your  own 
unbelief,  nor  answer  your  rising  doubts  and  fears  ;  but 
at  once,  upon  the  instant,  put  out  your  linger,  touch  the 
hem  of  his  garment,  and  see  what  will  come  of  it.  God 
help  you  to  do  so  while  I  am  speaking ! 

Yield  to  the  sacred  impidse  which  is  just  now  operat- 
ing upon  you.  Do  not  say,  "  To-morrow  may  be  more 
convenient.'^  In  this  woman's  case,  there  was  the  Lord 
before  her;  she  longed  to  be  healed  at  once,  and  so,  come 
what  may,  into  the  crowd  she  plunged.  She  was  so  en- 
feebled, that  one  wonders  how  she  managed  to  get  near 
him  ;  but  possibly  the  crowd  took  her  off  her  feet  and 
carried  her  onward,  as  often  happens  in  a  rush.  How- 
ever, there  was  her  chance,  and  she  seized  it.  There 
was  the  fringe  of  the  Lord's  mantle  ;  out  went  her  fin- 
ger :  it  was  all  done.  0  my  friend,  you  have  an  oppor- 
tmiity  now,  by  God's  great  grace,  for  you  are  in  his 
house  of  prayer.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by  at  this 
moment.  He  who  speaks  to  you  is  not  trying  to  say 
pretty  things,  but  he  is  pining  to  win  your  soid  for  Jesus. 
Oh,  how  I  wish  I  could  lead  you  to  that  sa^ang  touch  ! 
The  Spirit  of  God  can  do  it.  May  he  now  move  you  to 
cry — '-'•  I  will  believe  in  the  appointed  sacrifices,  and 
trust  my  soul  with  Jesus  "  !     Have  you  done  so  %     You 


CURED  AT  LAST.  121 

are  saved      "  He  that  believeth  in  him  hath  everlasting 
life." 

"  Oh,  but  I  tremble  so  !  "  So  did  she  whom  Jesus 
healed.  Her  hand  shook,  but  she  touched  him  all  the 
same  for  that.  I  think  I  see  her  quivering  finger.  Poor 
emaciated  woman,  with  pale  and  bloodless  cheeks  ! 
What  a  taper  finger  was  that  which  she  held  out,  and 
how  it  quivered !  However  much  the  finger  of  your  faith 
may  tremble,  if  it  does  but  touch  the  hem  of  the  Lord's 
garment,  virtue  will  flow  from  him  to  you.  The  power 
is  not  m  the  finger  which  touches,  but  in  the  divine 
Saviour  who  is  touched.  So  long  as  there  is  a  contact 
established  between  you  and  the  almighty  power  of 
Jesus,  his  power  will  travel  along  your  trembling  finger, 
and  bring  healing  to  your  heart.  A  telegraph  wire  may 
shake  with  the  wind,  and  yet  convey  the  electric  current, 
and  so  may  a  trembling  faith  convey  salvation  from 
Jesus.  A  strong  faith,  which  rests  anywhere  but  in 
Jesus,  is  a  delusion  ;  but  a  weak  faith,  which  rests  alone 
on  Jesus,  brings  sure  salvation.  Out  with  your  finger ! 
Dear  soul,  out  with  your  finger !  Do  not  go  away  till 
you  have  touched  the  Lord  by  a  believing  prayer  or 
hope.  Holy  Spirit,  do  not  suffer  any  to  quit  the  Taber- 
nacle until,  by  a  believing  desire,  or  trust,  or  confidence 
of  some  sort,  they  have  established  a  contact  between 
themselves  and  Jesus,  and  have  felt  the  virtue  enter  them 
for  their  instant  healing.  0  Lord,  save  this  people ! 
Why  do  you  come  Sunday  after  Sunday,  in  such 
crowds  %  and  why  must  I  stand  here  and  bleed  my  heart 
away  in  love  to  your  souls  %  Is  the  sole  result  to  be  that 
I  help  you  to  spend  an  hour-and-a-half  in  a  sort  of  reli- 
gious amusement  %  What  a  waste  it  is  of  my  labor,  and 
of  your  time,   unless   some   o;racious  work   is  done!     0 


122  CURED  AT  LAST. 

sirs,  if  you  are  not  brought  to  Christ,  my  preaching 
will  prove  a  curse  to  you !  It  appals  me  to  think  that 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  will  be  a  savour  of  death  imto 
you  unless  it  brings  you  life.  Put  not  the  day  of  grace 
from  you.  By  the  living  God,  I  do  implore  you,  trust  the 
living  Redeemer.  As  I  shall  meet  you  all,  face  to  face, 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  I  do  implore  and  be- 
seech you,  put  out  the  finger  of  faith,  and  trust  the  Lord 
Jesus,  who  is  so  fully  worthy  to  be  trusted.  The  simple 
trust  of  your  heart  will  stay  the  death  which  now  works 
in  you.     Lord,  give  that  trust,  for  Jesus'   sake  !     Amen. 


VI. 

"she  was  not  hid.'' 

April  15,  1888. 

"  And  when  the  woman  saw  that  she  was  not  hid,  she  came  trem- 
bling, and  falling  down  before  him,  she  declared  unto  him  before  all 
the  people  for  what  cause  she  had  touched  him,  and  how  she  was 
healed  immediately." — Luxe  viii.  47. 

Last  Sabbath  morning  we  spoke  upon  the  woman  who 
was  healed  of  her  issue  of  blood.  After  having  spent  all 
her  living  upon  physicians,  and  being  disappointed  in 
them  all,  she  touched  the  Saviour's  garment  and  was 
healed  immediately.  She  came  behind  him,  for  she  did 
not  wish  to  be  seen.  She  said  not  a  word :  she  had  not 
the  courage  to  ask  for  the  blessing  in  an  open  manner. 
AA^ien  cured,  she  slunk  away  into  the  ci'owd  :  she  was 
anxious  to  be  unobserved.  Now,  if  the  story  had  ended 
here,  you  woidd  not  have  been  sui'prised.  It  was  a  case 
of  extreme  delicacy,  that  might  seem  to  require  a  special- 
ly secret  ending,  by  the  woman's  being  permitted  to  go 
her  way  home,  happy  and  whole. 

But  now,  suppose  that  in  the  tenderness  of  our  Sa- 
viour's sympathy  with  this  trembling  woman,  he  had 
permitted  her  to  depart  without  making  an  open  confes- 
sion, Avhat  v/ould  have  been  the  consequence  f  The  Sa- 
viour willed  that  the  miracle  should  be  recorded  in  three 
of  the  four  Gospels,  and  if  it  had  ended  where  we  left  it 
last  Sabbath  morning,  then,  such  is  our  human  nature, 
we  should  have  drawn  from  it  the  inference  that  sav- 

(123) 


124  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

ing  faith  need  not  be  confessed.  Our  natural  love  of 
ease,  and  our  desire  to  avoid  the  cross,  would  have  made 
us  follow  this  vv^oman's  example,  and  we  should  have  tried 
to  touch  the  Lord  for  healing,  and  then  rim  away  from 
him  without  making  any  profession  of  discipleship.  Many 
would  have  quoted  her  case  as  a  reason  v»^hy  they  might 
be  allowed  to  escape  the  responsibilities,  duties,  and  suf- 
ferings which  discipleship  might  involve.  If  the  Saviour 
had  permitted  this  woman  to  retire  in  silence,  many 
cowardly  believers  would  have  said  that  the  Saviour's 
silence  gave  consent  to  her  retiring  without  a  word,  and 
that  they  might  safely  imitate  her.  I  know  the  men  and 
their  style  of  reasoning.  This  would  have  been  fine  nuts 
for  them.  Think  how  this  story  would  have  been  used 
in  times  of  martyrdom.  The  cowardly  would  have 
argued,  "  We  may  have  to  go  to  prison  or  to  the  stake 
if  we  confess  Christ ;  Avhy  should  we  be  so  needlessly 
daring  %  We  can  receive  grace  from  Jesus  quite  un- 
known to  anybody,  and  having  gained  salvation  we  can 
mingle  with  the  crowd  and  avoid  exposing  ourselves  to 
danger."  The  Saviour  would  not  allow  us  to  find  in  this 
case  an  apology  for  an  evil  course,  and  so  he  called  out 
the  woman  whom  he  had  cured.  The  spirit  of  hiding, 
thank  God,  was.  not  found  in  the  church  in  martyr  times; 
for  holy  men  and  women  came  forvv^ard  and  confessed 
their  faith  with  more  than  common  eagerness. 

If  the  narrative  had  ended  where  we  left  it  last  Sun- 
day, what  a  quietus  it  would  have  aff'orded  to  those  good 
peace-loving  people  who,  in  these  days  of  blasphemy  and 
rebuke,  will  take  no  sides  at  all ;  "  Anything  for  a  quiet 
life."  They  are  very  comfortable,  and  mean  to  remain 
so.  What  does  it  matter  to  them  though  the  whole 
church  should  be  rotten  with  error  I     They  hope  to  go 


SHE    WAS  XOT  HID.  125 

qmetlj  to  Leaven — indeed,  they  feel  tliey  are  going  there; 
and,  if  they  are  not  soldiers  of  the  cross,  yet  they  trust 
they  are  followers  of  the  Lamb  ;  if  they  do  not  contend 
earnestly  for  tlie  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  yet 
still  they  eat  the  fot,  and  drink  the  sweet,  and  enjoy  the 
privileges  of  a  comfortable  religion.  That  is  the  present 
policy  of  many,  and  gladly  enough  would  tliey  have  shel- 
tered themselves  behind  this  woman.  She,  however, 
was  not  hid,  nor  may  they  be»  We  have  enough  apolo- 
gies for  selfishness  and  ease,  and  compromise,  without  the 
Saviour's  supplying  us  with  one ;  and  so  he  took  special 
care  in  this  instance  that  nothing  so  evil  should  be  made 
out  of  it.  What  might  have  been  a  defence  for  guilty 
silence  he  turns  into  a  grand  argument  for  open  confes- 
sion. He  will  not  allow  concealment  in  this  case,  be- 
cause he  will  not  tolerate  it  in  any  case,  but  will  have  us 
take  up  our  cross  and  follow  him. 

That  is  the  subject  for  this  morning  :  may  I  be  helped 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  so  to  handle  it,  that  any  here  who  are 
sincere  in  their  love  to  Christ,  but  yet  have  never  avowed 
it,  may  be  forced  to  come  out  at  once,  and  before  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  his  people  declare  that  they  have 
touched  him,  and  that  they  have  been  healed  immedi- 
ately. 

Let  me  say  to  you,  her  liiding  seemed  very  excusahle  ; 
but,  secondly,  her  liiding  ivas  not  permitted  ;  and,  thirdly, 
your  hiding  should  not  he  excused  nor  permitted^  hut  should 
come  to  an  end  at  once, 

I.  First,  then,  we  say  concerning  this  woman,  that  her 
HIDING  SEEMED  VERY  EXCUSABLE.  I  havc  already  said 
that  if,  in  any  instance,  a  cure  might  have  been  con- 
cealed, this  was  one  ;  and  it  was  so  for  many  reasons. 
First,  because  of  this  tvoman^s  natural  timidity ^  and  he- 


128  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

cause  of  the  nature  of  her  malady.  It  would  appear  that 
if  in  any  case  the  thing  might  have  been  clone  in  a  cor- 
ner, or  if  clone  in  a  crowd,  might  have  been  passed  over 
without  remark,  this  was  an  evident  case  in  point.  Yet 
the  Saviom-,  tenderly  considerate  as  he  is,  will  not  have 
it  so.  And  you,  dear  friend,  may  say,  ^'  I  am  naturally 
so  very  timid  and  retiring  *,  pray  excuse  me."  This 
woman  was  not  only  bashful,  but  her  sickness  made  her 
rightly  wish  to  remain  in  obscurity.  '•'  I  should  not  like 
my  story  to  be  known,"  says  one.  She  might  have 
justly  said  the  same  :  it  must  have  been  hard  indeed  for 
her  to  confess  what  the  Lord  had  done.  Yet  she  had  to 
acknowledge  his  grace  openly,  and  so  must  you.  She  is 
sick  and  faint,  and  for  twelve  years  has  been  growing 
weaker  and  weaker,  yet  when  she  is  healed  she  must 
come  forward  and  confess  the  cure.  Does  this  seem  hard 
to  you  f  Surely  it  is  the  least  she  can  do,  and  she  ought 
to  do  it  of  her  own  accord.  Y^et  if  silence  might  have 
been  allowed  in  any  case,  hers  was  so  delicate  a  matter 
that  she  might  have  had  the  doubtful  privilege  of  receiv- 
ing mercy  without  acknovvdedging  it. 

In  addition  to  this,  remember  that  the  Saviour  did  not 
court  puJjlicity,  He  laid  no  injunction  upon  those  whom 
he  healed  that  they  should  tell  every  one  of  the  marvel. 
He  did  not  seek  fame  or  observation :  he  did  not  strive 
nor  cry,  nor  cause  his  voice  to  be  heard  in  the  streets. 
In  several  cases  he  bade  the  healed  ones  tell  no  man  what 
was  done ;  and  in  this  case  he  had  given  the  cure  with- 
out any  open  request  for  it.  Might  she  not  from  this 
conclude  that  her  secret  act  of  faith  was  approved,  and 
that  it  might  continue  secret,  since  it  had  gained  the 
boon  ?  You  may  reason  in  that  way  about  yourself,  and 
say  that  Jesus  does  not  need  that  you  should   testify  for 


SHE    WAS  NOT  HID.  127 

him.  Indeed,  it  is  true  that  he  does  not  need  anything 
of  any  of  us  ;  but  is  this  a  fit  way  of  treating  your  Lord  % 
You  may  say  that  quietude  on  your  part  would  be  ex- 
cusable ;  but  as  the  Saviour  did  not  think  so  in  this 
woman's  case,  I  believe  that  he  will  not  think  so  in  your 
case.  I  trust  that  in  his  mercy  he  will  deal  with  you  as 
with  her,  and  compel  you  to  come  out  and  oa\ii  the  won- 
ders of  his  grace. 

There  was  another  reason  why  she  might  have  thought 
she  need  not  make  a  public  confession,  and  that  was,  that 
the  Saviour  ivas  at  that  time  exceedingly  occupied.  The 
multitude  thronged  him,  and  he  was  on  the  way  to  the 
house  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  to  attend  to  his 
child  ;  she  would  only  be  stopping  him  in  his  career  of 
love.  Should  the  Saviour  be  detained  for  her  ?  Already 
Jairus  did  not  look  upon  her  very  cheerfidly  when  he 
saw  that  Jesus  stopped  for  her  ;  what  would  he  do  if  she 
caused  a  still  longer  delay  %  Besides,  she  might  natu- 
rally argue,  "  Why  should  such  an  insignificant  person  as 
I  am  detain  the  prophet  ?  What  am  I  that  I  shoidd  take 
up  even  a  second  of  his  time  ?  Jairus  is  before  me  ;  let 
him  take  his  turn.  I  have  the  blessing,  and  there  is  no 
need  to  detain  the  Lord."  You  know  how  ready  we  are 
to  make  excuses  when  a  duty  is  not  pleasant  :  I  suppose 
you  are  very  handy  at  it  yourself.  But  now  since  this 
excuse,  if  it  ever  occurred  to  the  woman,  was  soon  dis- 
posed of,  I  would  advise  you  also  to  cast  away  all  subter- 
fuges, and  remember  that  it  is  written,  "  He  that  with 
his  heart  believeth,  and  with  his  mouth  maketh  confession 
of  him,  shall  be  saved,"  or  quoting  an  equally  plain  Scrip- 
ture, ''  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved.'' 
The  faith  and  the  confession  are  put  together  by  the  Holy 


128  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

Spirit:  what  God  hath  joined  together  let  no  man  put 
asunder. 

Excuse  might  also  have  been  found  for  the  healed 
woman  in  the  fact,  that  her  cure  ivould  make  itself  hioivn 
by  its  results.  When  she  reached  home  everybody  would 
see  that  she  was  quite  another  person  :  and  when  they 
asked  how  it  came  to  pass,  she  could  tell  them  all  about 
it.  They  would  see  in  her  life  the  best  evidences  of  the 
work  of  our  Lord  upon  her.  Is  it  not  better  to  speak  by 
your  life  than  by  your  lips  ?  Exactly  so,  and  herein  lies 
the  apparent  force  of  this  excuse  for  disobedience.  It 
needs  some  truth  to  keep  a  falsehood  on  its  legs.  Note 
well  that  this  woman  was  not  permitted  to  withhold  the 
open  avowal  of  her  indebtedness  to  Christ,  even  though 
it  was  certain  that  her  health  and  her  conduct  woidd 
witness  to  his  power.  I  know  what  you  say  :  "  I  need 
not  join  a  church  :  I  can  be  a  Christian  at  home.  Bet- 
ter live  a  Christian  life  than  wear  a  Christian  name.'^ 
My  friend,  we  never  proposed  to  you  that  you  should  i^nit 
the  wearing  of  a  Christian  name  in  the  place  of  a  Chris- 
tian life — Ave  have  solemnly  spoken  the  reverse  of  such  a 
notion.  We  would  earnestly  remind  you  of  our  Saviour's 
words,  ''  These  things  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to 
have  left  the  other  undone."  Attention  to  one  duty  is 
no  justification  for  the  neglect  of  another.  I  charge  you, 
disobey  not  in  any  point.  Confess  your  Lord ;  own 
what  he  has  done  for  you ;  and  be  sure  that  the  outcome 
of  your  life  supports  your  confession.  Have  the  shaft  of 
godly  living  by  all  means,  but  crown  it  with  the  capital 
of  a  brave  confession. 

Another  pretext  might  have  served  this  woman,  if  she 
desired  an  excuse.  She  might  truthfully  have  said,  "  It 
is  evident  that  an  open  confession  is  not  essential  to  my 


SHE    WAS  XOT  HID.  J29 

cure,  for  I  am  cured.  She  was  licalccl  immediatelj,  and 
it  is  added,  that  she  felt  in  her  body  that  she  was  healed 
of  that  plague  :  so  that  she  knew  that  she  was  healed, 
and  it  was  clear  that  an  avowal  of  her  faith  was  not 
necessary  to  her  receiving  that  great  boon  from  the  Lord. 
Hence,  many  argue,  "  To  confess  Christ  and  join  with 
his  people  is  not  necessary  to  my  salvation."  Who  said 
it  was  ?  Open  confession  is  not  necessary,  nay,  is  not 
permitted,  till  you  are  saved.  How  could  this  woman 
have  made  any  confession  of  a  cure  till  she  was  cured  ? 
But  being  cured,  it  then  became  necessary  that  she  should 
confess  it :  not  necessary  to  the  cure,  that  is  clear,  but 
necessary  because  of  the  cure.  It  is  always  necessary 
for  a  disciple  to  do  what  his  Lord  bids  him.  It  is  essen- 
tial for  a  soldier  of  the  cross  to  follow  his  Captain's  or- 
ders. Jesus  bids  us  let  our  light  shine  ;  dare  we  hide  it 
away  ?  If  we  have  received  grace  at  his  hands  he  would 
have  us  confess  that  we  have  received  it,  and  surelv  our 
sense  of  justice  makes  it  needful  for  us  to  own  our  obliga- 
tion. 

Thus  I  have  shown  you  that  in  her  case  many  excuses 
might  have  been  made  ;  and  jaij  after  all,  it  would  not 
have  been  a  fitting  thing  if  she  had  stolen  away  in  the 
crowd,  and  gone  home  cured  without  praising  and  blessing 
her  Lord.  It  would  have  been  to  her  everlasting  dis- 
honor. I  think  she  felt  this  when  the  Saviour  fixed  those 
dear  eyes  of  his  upon  her  and  said,  ''  Somebody  hath 
touched  me."  What  a  vision  of  loving-kindness  and 
peace  it  was  to  her  !  In  a  moment  she  must  have 
thought,  "  How  foolish  I  was  to  go  behind  him  !  The 
very  look  of  his  face  is  comfort,  the  glance  of  his  eye  is 
joy.  He  would  have  granted  my  request  with  a  smile." 
When  she  saw  what  he  was  like,  and  perceived  the  right 


130  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

royal  bearing  of  The  Bountiful  One,  slie  bluslied  tliat 
she  had  thought  to  steal  a  cure  from  one  so  ready  to  give 
it.  The  sight  of  him  was  rebuke  enough  for  her  clan- 
destine snatching  at  the  blessing.  As  to  going  away  then 
without  thanking  him,  why,  methinks  the  moment  she 
saw  his  majestic  mercy,  the  divine  royalty  of  his  good- 
ness, she  coidd  not  do  otherwise  than  fall  at  his  feet  and 
worship  such  a  glorious  Lord.  AVithin  herself  she  felt 
that  it  was  a  marvellous  cure  which  had  come  to  her  by  a 
touch  of  him,  and  she  could  not  praise  him  enough.  The 
stones  would  have  cried  out  against  her  is  she  had  not 
confessed  his  miracle  of  gracious  power,  and  the  earth 
w^oidd  have  refused  to  bear  up  such  a  monster  of  ingrati- 
tude. Instantly  she  fell  doTvm  before  him,  and  told  him 
all  the  truth.  The  thoughts  of  her  heart  were  revealed 
by  her  Lord,  and  never  was  Jesus  more  truly  adored 
than  by  this  poor  creature,  whose  silence  stood  rebuked 
by  her  Lord's  love,  and  condemned  by  his  immeasur- 
able goodness. 

IL    Secondly,     HEE    HIDIXG   WAS    NOT    PERMITTED    BY 

THE  Saviour.  I  told  3^ou,  in  the  opening  of  the  dis- 
course, that  to  have  let  her  story  finish  without  bringing 
her  out  would  have  been  an  encouragement  to  that  practi- 
cal denial  of  Christ  which  consists  in  concealing  our  faith  in 
him.  The  unearthing  of  this  woman  from  her  hiding- 
place  was  wrought  by  the  Saviour  himself,  and  therefore, 
with  all  its  apparent  roughness,  we  may  be  sure  that  it 
was  the  kindest  thing  that  coidd  have  been  done.  Her 
being  brought  out  had  the  best  of  consequences. 

For,  first,  an  open  confession  on  her  part  was  needful 
in  reference  to  fJie  Lord^s  ghrf/.  Beloved,  the  miracles  of 
Christ  were  the  seals  which  God  gave  to  his  mission. 
He  was  a  man  sent  of  God,  and  the  wondrous  things  that 


SHE    WAS  NOT   HID.  131 

he  did  proved  that  God  was  with  him.  If  the  wonders 
which  he  wrought  were  not  made  known,  the  seals  of  his 
mission  woukl  have  been  concealed,  and  so  would  have 
lost  much  of  their  effect.  How  would  men  kno\v^  that  he 
was  tlie  very  Christ,  if  they  never  heard  that  the  sick 
were  healed  %  If  this  woman  concealed  her  cure  others 
might  do  the  same  ;  and  if  they  all  did  it,  then  Christ's 
commission  would  have  no  visible  endorsement  from  the 
Lord  God.  I  should  like  to  impress  this  idea  upon  those 
of  you  wlio  do  not  confess  your  Lord:  whatever  is  right 
for  you  to  do  is  right  for  other  people  to  do.  If  it  is 
right  for  one  Christian  not  to  confess  Christ,  and  join  a 
church,  it  must  be  allowable  for  other  Christians  to  do  the 
same.  Where  would  be  churches,  where  would  be  the 
continuance  of  gospel  ordinances  ;  and  for  the  matter  of 
that,  who  would  be  bound  to  be  a  preacher  if  no  one  is 
even  bound  to  make  an  open  profession  ?  If  you  may  go 
to  eaven  by  the  back  stairs  so  may  I,  and  God's  grand 
entrance  to  the  kingdom  may  be  deserted.  Who  will 
care  to  go  to  heaven  by  the  open  way,  with  all  its  respon- 
sibility and  opposition,  if  you  can  just  as  easily  take  the 
snug  road  behind  the  hedges,  and  slink  into  glory  with- 
out observation  \  It  will  not  do,  brethren,  if  we  consider 
what  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  deserves  of  us,  and  how  our 
open  confession  tends  to  certify  his  mission.  The  change 
wrought  in  the  spiritual  and  moral  condition  of  the  saved 
is  God's  attestation  of  the  gospel ;  and  if  this  is  not  to  be 
spoken  of,  how  is  the  world  to  know  that  God  has  sent 
the  gospel  at  all  % 

Further,  remember  that  our  LonVs  miracles  tvere  lUiis- 
trative  of  his  teachincf.  Properly  viewed,  the  miracles  of 
Christ  are  the  pictures  of  a  v.^lume  of  which  his  sermons 
are   the  letterpress.     You  take  The  Illustrated  London 


132  SHE    IV AS  NOT  HID. 

Neivs,  and  jou  get  tlie  description  of  a  public  building,  or 
the  account  of  a  grand  ceremony  :  you  are  glad  of  the 
printed  account,  but  you  are  much  helped  to  form  an  idea 
of  the  whole  business  by  the  engravings.  You  would 
not  like  to  lose  the  woodcut,  which  is  the  chief  feature 
of  value  in  the  paper.  Now,  in  our  Saviour's  ministry 
his  words  were  the  letterpress,  and  his  miracles  were  the 
engravings.  If  the  engraving  is  to  be  torn  away,  or 
pasted  over,  a  great  injury  is  done  to  the  paper  ;  and 
even  so  our  Lord's  teaching  would  be  greatly  marred  if 
its  miracles  were  concealed.  I  showed  you,  last  Lord's 
morning,  that  the  healing  of  this  woman  was  a  wonder- 
fully instructive  incident ;  how  could  it  remain  unknown? 
Must  it  be  passed  over  to  gratify  her  fear  I  Must  Jesus 
work  this  wonder,  and  nobody  ever  hear  about  it  f  As 
God  is  seen  in  his  works  of  creation,  Jesus  is  seen  in  his 
miracles  of  grace.  Shall  we  rob  him  of  his  glory  ?  God 
forbid  that  we  should  do  him  this  serious  dishonor.  When 
first  I  knew  the  Lord,  if  anybody  had  said  to  me,  "  You 
will  be  ashamed  to  confess  Christ,  although  he  has  saved 
you.  The  day  will  come  when  you  will  blush  to  o^vn  his 
name,"  I  shoidd  have  felt  indignant  at  the  suggestion. 
Why,  I  wanted  to  tell  everybody  of  the  Saviour's  love. 
If  there  had  been  nobody  else  to  hear  me,  I  shoidd  have 
told  the  cat.  I  felt  like  Bunyan  did  when  he  said  he 
wanted  to  tell  the  crows  on  the  ploughed  land  all  about 
it.  I  cannot  understand  how  it  is  that  you  who  know  the 
Saviour,  or  think  you  do,  can  imagine  it  to  be  right  to 
hide  away,  and  cover  up  the  glory  of  Christ.  Oh,  tell 
it !  Tell  it  all  the  world  over  that  he  has  healed  us,  for- 
given us,  and  saved  us. 

But  the  confession  had  to  be  made /or  tlie  sake  of  others. 
Do  any  of  you  wish  to  live  imto  yourselves  f     If  you  do, 


SUE   IVAS  NOT  HID.  133 

you  need  saving  from  selfishness.  I  liave  seen  it  brought 
as  a  charge  against  evangelical  religion  that  we  teach 
men  to  look  to  their  own  salvation  first,  and  that  this  is  a 
kind  of  spiritual  selfishness.  Ah,  but  if  that  salvation 
means  salvation  from  selfishness,  where  is  the  selfishness 
of  it  ?  It  is  a  very  material  point  in  salvation  to  be  saved 
from  hardness  of  heart  and  carelessness  about  others. 
Do  you  want  to  go  to  heaven  alone  ?  I  fear  you  will 
never  go  there.  Have  you  no  wish  for  others  to  be 
saved  ?  Then  you  are  not  saved  yourself.  Be  sure  of 
that.  What  is  the  most  natural  plan  to  use  for  the  sal- 
vation of  others  but  to  bear  your  own  personal  testimony  ? 
Our  Lord  healed  this  woman  for  the  good  of  the  whole 
crowd.  They  must  have  all  been  astonished  when  they 
heard  her  story.  He  did  it  especially  for  the  good  of 
Jairus.  Jairus'  little  daughter  had  been  living  twelve 
years,  and  this  poor  woman  had  been  dying  twelve  years 
— ^note  the  exact  time  in  each  ease.  Surely  there  was  a 
loud  call  to  Jairus  in  this  cure  to  exercise  faith  in  Jesus, 
and  it  must  have  greatly  helped  his  faith,  which  was  not 
quite  so  strong  as  it  seemed. 

Do  you  not  think  that  her  public  declaration  was  re- 
quired for  the  good  of  our  LorcVs  disciples  f  When  they 
heard  her  story,  did  they  not  treasure  it  up,  and  speak 
of  it  to  one  another  in  after  days,  and  thereby  strengthen 
each  other's  faith  ?  The  remembrance  of  these  remark- 
able* miracles,  which  they  saw  their  Master  work,  would 
serve  them  in  good  stead  in  times  of  persecution.  Be- 
loved, had  not  the  Lord  an  eye  even  to  you  and  to  me, 
who  were  to  be  born  by  his  grace  centuries  later  on  ? 
Do  you  not  think  that  he  fetched  the  healed  one  out 
on  purpose  that  this  being  but  into  the  gospel  might 
bring  out  hidden  ones  throughout  all  generations  ?     Did 


134  SHE   WAS  NOT  HID. 

not  our  Lord  foresee  that  many  would  be  encouraged  to 
touch  the  hem  of  his  garment  by  faith  through  hearing 
of  her  cure  ?  Thus,  you  see,  the  trembling  woman  must 
own  her  Lord,  that  her  Lord's  household  may  be  blest 
thereby. 

But  especially  she  had  to  do  this  ybr  lier  own  good. 
The  Saviour  had  designs  of  love  in  bringing  this  poor 
trembler  forward  before  all  the  people.  By  this  he  saved 
her  from  a  host  of  fears  which  would  have  haunted  her. 
Suppose  she  had  gone  home  healed,  and  had  never  con- 
fessed it;  surely  she  Avould  have  felt  uneasy?  A  sense  of 
having  stolen  the  boon  without  leave  or  license  would  have 
caused  her  uneasy  dreams  and  sad  apprehensions.  She 
would  worry  herself  with  the  fear  that  the  disease  would 
soon  return  again,  or  that  she  would  die  from  a  fearful 
judgment.  Besides,  she  would  have  said  to  herself,  ^'  I 
was  little  better  than  a  thief.  I  did  not  come  in  by  the 
door,  but  climbed  over  the  wall.  I  am  afraid  it  will  go 
hard  Avith  me  at  the  day  of  judgment.  Will  a  man  rob 
God?  Have  not  I  robbed  the  Saviour  himself  ?  "  All 
such  fears  were  rendered  impossible  by  her  open  confes- 
sion, and  that  which  followed  upon  it.  Jesus  assured  her 
that  he  had  taken  no  offence  ;  he  wished  her  to  have  no 
fears,  for,  said  he,  '^  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee.  G-o  in 
peace." 

She  had  been  a  very  timid  and  trembling  woman,  but 
noAV  she  would  shake  off  all  improper  timidity.  I  have 
known  many  persons  cured  of  timidity  by  coming  forward 
to  confess  Christ.  I  could  mention  cases  of  persons  who 
have  been  very  retiring,  and  scarcely  able  to  say  a  word 
upon  any  subject,  but  when  they  joined  the  church  and 
were  baptized,  their  open  confession  broke  the  ice,  and 
the  waters  of  their  life  were  set  in  motion.     Our  Lord 


SHE    WAS  XOT  HID,  135 

removes  this  infirmity  by  our  obedience  :   ^^  in  keeping 
his  commandments  there  is  great  reward." 

Our  Lord  also  gave  her  an  increased  blessing  after  her 
confession.  Perhaps  the  Lord  is  reserving  some  great 
favor  for  some  of  you  Avhen  you  avow  his  name.  You 
hide  indoorSj  and  he  allows  you  milk  enough  to  live 
upon ;  but  if  you  would  come  out  and  confess  him,  he 
would  feed  you  with  the  strong  meat  of  the  kingdom. 
You  would  become  a  braver  and  more  useful  person  if 
you  would  take  up  your  cross.  You  are  now  like  Saul, 
the  son  of  Kish,  hiding  among  the  stuff :  come  out  and 
be  a  king.  Confess  what  Christ  has  done  for  ycu.  For 
what  did  the  Saviour  give  her  % 

He  gave  her  clearly  to  know  her  relationship  to  him. 
He  said,  ^'  Daughter  !"  I  do  not  know  that  the  Saviour 
ever  called  any  other  woman  daughter,  for  he  w^as 
guarded  in  his  speech  to  women ;  but  to  this  one  woman 
he  said,  ^^ Daughter."  Oh,  may  the  Lord  give  trembhng 
ones  to  see  and  feel  the  near  and  dear  relationship  wdiich 
exists  between  Christ  and  their  souls  !  May  your  son- 
ship  come  up  before  your  minds  most  vividly,  as  a  re- 
ward of  obedience.  May  Jesus  say  to  some  of  you,  "Son, 
be  of  good  comfort;"  or  to  another,  "Daughter,  be  of 
good  cheer,  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee."  "  What  woidd 
I  give,"  says  one,  "if  Jesus  would  call  me  ^  daughter!'" 
Give  him  your  whole  self  by  believing  in  him,  and  con- 
fession of  him,  and  see  if  he  does  not  reveal  to  you  his 
love.  What  choice  revelations  you  lose  through  sinful 
silence  I  cannot  tell  you  ;  but  assuredly  you  miss  many 
a  cheering  word  from  your  Lord's  own  lip.  If  you  will 
not  own  him,  how  can  you  expect  him  to  give  you  the 
spirit  of  adoption  %  If  you  receive  instead  the  spirit  of 
bondage  you  cannot  wonder. 


136  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

Next,  note  that  our  Lord  gave  her  joyousness.  He  said, 
'-''  Daughter,  be  of  good  couifort."  Smooth  those  wrinkles 
from  thy  brow,  my  daughter. 

"Why  sliould  tlie  cliildreii  of  a  king 
Go  monruing  all  their  days  ?  " 

^^  Be  of  good  comfort."  Ah,  friends !  you  hang  your 
heads.  Perhaps  if  you  had  grace  enough  to  OT\ai  Jesus 
more  fully,  you  would  hold  your  heads  up,  and  the  sun 
would  shine  into  your  faces,  and  you  woidd  march  joy- 
fully all  the  rest  of  yoiu'  lives.  I  advise  you  to  try  it. 
One  of  the  best  medicine:s  for  low  spirits  will  be  found  in 
a  courageous  obedience  to  Jesus.  Keep, close  to  the 
Crucified  and  your  own  cross  will  grow  light  in  fellow- 
ship with  him. 

Next,  notice  that  he  gave  a  commendation  to  her  faith: 
^^  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  Why,  it  was  not 
her  faith  which  made  her  whole,  was  it  !  No,  but  Jesus 
puts  his  own  crown  upon  the  head  of  faith.  It  is  always 
safe  for  Jesus  to  crown  faith,  because  faith  always  crowns 
Jesus.  Her  faith  would  answer,  ^^  Lord,  I  did  nothing, 
thou  didst  it  all,"  and,  therefore,  Jesus  ascribes  her  heal- 
ing to  her  faith.  How  much  I  desire  that  you,  who  are 
now  afraid  of  your  own  faith,  would  win  your  Lord's 
praise  by  coming  out  and  bearing  witness  to  what  he  has 
done  for  you  !  Then  will  you  not  only  believe,  but  also 
know  that  you  have  believed,  and  end  for  ever  your 
present  state  of  miserable  doubt. 

Then  the  Lord  gave  her  a  word  of  precious  quieting. 
He  said,  ^^  Go  in  peace."  As  much  as  to  say  :  Do  not 
stop  in  this  crowd,  to  be  pushed  about  or  stared  at,  but 
go  home  in  quiet.  Go  home  to  your  house,  and  to  your 
friends,  with  a  light  heart.  All  is  well.  You  enjoy  my 
favor.     I  have  called  you  daughter,  and  I  will  never  dis- 


SHE    WAS  NOT  HID.  I37 

own  you.  I  liavo  blessed  you,  and  you  shall  be  blessed. 
I  give  you  peace  on  earth,  and  peace  in  heaven,  0  you 
that  do  love  the  Lord,  and  trust  him,  but  yet  have  never 
declared  your  faith  according  to  his  command,  you  say, 
^^  We  do  not  know  how  it  is,  but  while  we  hear  of  God's 
people  having  great  peace,  we  do  not  enjoy  it."  You 
cannot  expect  to  have  peace,  and  yet  be  disobedient.  If 
you  do  not  side  with  Jesus,  do  you  expect  him  to  be  at 
your  side  ?  You  shall  have  bread  and  water,  so  that 
your  soul  shall  be  kept  alive  ;  but  you  cannot  taste  the 
wines  on  the  lees,  nor  the  fat  things  full  of  marrow,  so 
long  as  you  do  not  confess  your  Lord.  The  dainties  of 
the  cupboard  are  not  for  disobedient  children.  Are  you 
ashamed  of  Jesus  %  How,  then,  can  you  expect  him  to 
give  you  the  kisses  of  his  mouth  %  That  he  shoidd  save 
you  will  be  more  than  his  promise  ;  but  as  he  loves 
you,  he  must  and  will  discipline  you  miless  you  con- 
fess his  name  and  his  work.  Why  do  you  lose  present 
comfort  by  neglect  %  All  in  the  train  of  faith  will  go  to 
heaven  ;  but  why  do  so  many  ride  third-class,  or  even 
get  into  cattle-trucks  %  Why  not  ride  first-class  ?  To 
be  out-and-out  for  Christ  is  to  ride  first-class.  Confess 
your  Lord.  Determine  never  to  hide  your  colors.  Be 
heart  and  soul  a  Christian.  Live  for  Jesus,  and  be  ready 
to  die  for  him :  this  is  to  go  to  heaven  first-class  ;  and 
why  should  you  not?  Why  will  you  be  fretting  and 
fuming,  moaning  and  mourning,  when  you  might  as  well 
be  singing  and  dancing  and  feasting  in  the  presence  of 
your  Lord  and  his  household  ?  Do  you  hesitate  to  own 
your  Lord  and  Master  ?  Ah,  me !  how  shall  I  sufficiently 
grieve  over  you  ?  Let  not  another  day  pass  over  your 
head  till  you  have  left  Cowards'  Castle  and  come  into  the 
ranks  of  the  army  of  the  Lord  of  hosts. 


138  SHE    WAS  NOT  HID. 

III.  Thus  I  have  already  reached  my  last  point:  YOUR 
HIDING  OUGHT  TO  BE  ENDED.  '^^  Whom  are  you  speak- 
ing to,  sir  ?  "  Well,  not  to  you,  dear  friends,  \yho  are 
always  to  the  front,  lifting  the  banner  of  the  cross. 
^'  Whom  are  you  speaking  to,  sir  %  "  To  you,  my  friend, 
if  you  are  really  a  disciple,  but  secretly,  for  fear  of  the 
Jews.  If  you  keep  yourself  to  yourself,  it  is  to  you  that 
I  am  speaking,  and  I  desire  to  press  upon  you  your 
obligations.  What  oivest  thou  to  my  Lordf  You  are 
washed  from  your  uncleanness.  You  are  clothed  with 
the  robe  of  righteousness.  You  are  accepted  in  the  Be- 
loved. You  know  that  you  have  passed  from  death  to 
life.  Unless  fearfully  mistaken,  you  know  that  you  are 
the  Lord's.  Well,  then,  OAvn  it.  Do  not  be  ashamed  to 
take  your  place  in  the  cross-bearing  procession,  and  fol- 
low the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.  By  your  love  to 
Jesus,  do  not  turn  to  the  right,  seeking  your  own  ease  ; 
nor  to  the  left,  aiming  at  the  peace  of  others,  but  go 
straight  on  where  duty  and  Jesus  lead  you.  This  is  still 
the  way  to  honor  and  immortality. 

Do  you  not  think  you  owe  something  to  the  church  of 
God,  which  kept  the  gospel  alive  in  the  world  for  you  to 
hear  ?  Did  not  a  band  of  godly  men  and  women  meet 
together,  and  see  that  the  gospel  was  preached  !  Was 
it  not  so  that  you  were  saved  ?  Should  you  not  help  to 
keep  that  church  going  by  whose  means  you  were  brought 
to  Jesus  ? 

May  I  be  permitted  also  to  say,  I  think  you  oive  some- 
thing  to  the  minister  tvho  led  you  to  Jesus  f  What  a  cheer 
it  is  to  us  when  we  get  a  letter  from  one  who  has  found 
the  Lord  through  our  teaching ;  and  better  still,  when 
face  to  face  we  meet  one  who  has  trusted  the  Saviour 
through  our  poor  instrumentality  !     Those  who  are  sowers 


SUE    WAS  NOT  HID.  "139 

of  the  seed  know  what  a  joj  it  is  to  see  it  spring  up. 
Who  are  the  people  who  cause  us  needless  depression  ? 
Who  are  those  who  withhold  needful  encoura2:ement  ? 
Why,  those  who  do  not  come  out  and  tell  what  grace  has 
done  for  them.  For  the  sake  of  those  who  labor  amons: 
you  in  word  and  doctrine^  I  beseech  you  come  forward. 
Common  gratitude  should  lead  you  to  let  us  know  that 
our  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.. 

Besides,  yon  owe  it  to  yourselves.  Are  you  going  to  be 
mere  bats,  fluttering  out  when  none  will  observe  you, 
and  hiding  from  the  light  ?  Arc  you  going  to  be  like 
mice,  which  only  come  out  at  night  to  nibble  in  the  pan- 
try ?  Quit  yourselves  like  men  !  0  you  that  are  hidden 
in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  let  the  Saviour  hear  your  voices, 
and  see  your  countenances  ! 

You  owe  it  to  your  family.  You  slioidd  tell  your  house- 
hold what  grace  has  done  for  you.  Many  a  person  won- 
ders that  his  sons  and  daughters  do  not  turn  out  well, 
when  he  himself  has  never  been  openly  on  the  Lord's 
side.  ''  Oh,"  says  one,  "  but  then  I  am  right  in  my 
heart."  But  is  the  light  within  to  be  shut  up  in  a  dark 
lantern  ?  Who  is  to  read  a  closed  book  ?  We  want  to 
see  in  the  shop-window  of  your  life  some  of  the  goods 
which  are  stored  in  the  warehouse  of  your  heart,  or  how 
can  you  trade  for  your  Lord?  When  a  man  boldly  says, 
^'I  believe  in  Jesus,"  and  proves  it  by  his  actions,  it  has 
a  holy  influence  upon  his  children,  his  servants,  his  com- 
panions :  do  you  not  desire  to  influence  them  aright  ? 

Do  you  not  think  you  owe  it  to  your  neiylibors  to  shoiv 
your  colors  f  Why,  there  are  whole  streets  in  this  city 
where  scarcely  a  single  person  goes  to  a  place  of  public 
worship.  Should  he  slink  there  as  if  half  ashamed  of  it  ? 
What  is  to  become  of  us  if  the  little   salt  loses  its  savor  1 


140  SHE   WAS  NOT  HID. 

There  are  regions  in  this  city  in  which  dwell  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  inhabitants  in  which  attendance  at  public 
worship  is  so  scanty  that  the  churches  and  chapels  have 
only  a  sprinkling  of  people.  Should  not  you  that  love 
the  Lord  be  very  earnest  to  let  it  be  known  that  there  is 
still  a  God  to  be  worshipped,  a  Savioiir  to  be  trusted  ? 
In  these  evil  days  above  all  others — 

'*  Ye  that  are  men  now  serve  him, 
Against  unnumbered  foes ; 
Your  courage  rise  with  danger, 

And  strength  to  strength  ojipose." 

Many  crowd  around  him  when  Christ  is  on  the  winning 
hand.  What  is  the  worth  of  their  hosannas  %  The  style 
of  man  that  a  crucified  Christ  delights  in  is  he  who  fol- 
lows his  Lord  in  the  day  of  blasphemy  and  reproach.  A 
true  soldier  of  Jesus  can  stand  up  for  his  Lord  alone. 
He  is  as  true  to  Jesus  when  he  is  the  only  one  as  he 
would  be  if  all  the  million  went  after  him.  Blessed  is  he 
who  is  not  offended  with  Jesus,  nor  ashamed  of  his  cross. 
O  ye  saved  ones,  run  up  your  colors  ;  fly  them  at  the 
mast-head,  nail  them  there  ;  and  never  let  the  enemy 
take  them  down.  Oh  that  God  would  move  every  one 
here  that  has  been  a  little  shy  or  backward  to  go  without 
the  camp  and  bear  the  Lord's  reproach  ! 

Now  let  me  hear  some  of  your  ohjcctions,  and  answer 
them.  I  hope  I  have  been  answering  them  all  through 
my  sermon.  Here  is  one.  ^' Well,  you  knov,^,  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,  I  am  such  an  insignificant  person.  It  cannot  make 
any  diff'erence  what  I  do."  Yes,  and  this  woman  was  a 
very  insignificant  person — only  a  woman !  When  I 
speak  thus  in  English^  it  is  a  very  ungallant  speech,  but 
if  a  Rabbi  had  said  it  in  Christ's  day,  it  would  not  have 
seemed  at  all  out  of  place^   for  they  taught  that  no  holy 


SHE    WAS  NOT  HID.  141 

person  ought,  in  the  streets,  to  allow  a  woman's  dress  to 
touch  him,  lest  he  should  be  defiled  thereby.  They 
thought  that  if  a  scribe  tried  to  teach  a  woman  the  law, 
he  dishonored  the  law  by  doing  so.  Religious  men 
lightly  esteemed  women  in  the  Saviour's  day.  Our 
divine  Lord  never  gave  the  slightest  sanction  to  such  an 
abominable  spirit,  and  I  am  not  going  to  lend  any  sanc- 
tion to  your  saying  ^^  I  am  only  a  poor  feeble  v/oman." 
God  thinks  much  of  the  lowly  :  you  must  not  talk  so. 
Besides,  many  of  you  do  not  think  so  meanly  of  your- 
selves as  you  pretend  to  do  when  you  want  to  avoid  your 
duty.  Do  not  excuse  yourselves  through  pretended 
humility.  If  the  Lord  bought  you  with  his  blood,  you 
are  not  so  insignificant  that  you  can  be  allowed  to  deny 
him  your  service. 

*^  But  coming  out  and  joining  a  church,  and  all  that,  is 
such  an  ordeal."  So  it  may  be.  In  this  woman's  case, 
it  was  a  far  greater  ordeal  than  it  can  be  to  you.  Pict- 
ure her,  with  her  delicacy  of  feeling,  called  into  the 
midst  of  all  that  crowd  to  confess  her  cure  !  Ready  to 
sink  into  the  earth  !  An  unclean  person  who  had  broken 
the  ceremonial  law !  How  she  longed  to  hide  herself 
away  !  Yet  the  tender  Lord,  for  her  own  sake,  would 
have  her  stand  forth,  and  what  seemed  an  ordeal  became 
a  joy.  Jesus  does  not  excuse  one  of  his  healed  ones  from 
owning  the  work  of  his  grace.  A  dear  lady,  who  has 
long  since  gone  to  glory,  was  once  an  honored  member 
of  this  church :  it  was  Lady  Burgoyne,  and  when  she 
wished  to  unite  with  us  she  said  to  me,  "  Dear  sir,  I  can- 
not go  before  the  church.  It  is  more  than  I  can  manage 
to  make  a  confession  of  Christ  before  the  members."  I 
told  her  that  we  could  make  no  exception  for  anybody, 
and  especially  not  for  her,  who  was  so  well  established  in 


142  ^'"^^  ^^'^-^         ^'^^^'        ^^^^ 

the  faith  that  she  coiild  surely  answer  a  few  questions 
before  those  who  were  her  brethren  and  sisters  in  the 
Lord.  She  came  bravely,  and  spoke  most  sweetly  for 
her  Lord.  Some  of  you  may  remember  her,  with  her 
sweet  countenance,  and  venerable  bearing.  When  she 
had  owned  her  Lord,  she  put  both  her  hands  on  mine, 
and  said  emphatically,  ''  With  all  my  heart  I  thank  you 
for  this  ;  I  shall  never  be  ashamed  of  Christ  now.  When 
aristocratic  friends  call  upon  me  I  will  speak  to  them  of 
my  Lord."  She  did  so  constantly.  You  never  found 
her  slow  to  introduce  the  gospel,  whoever  might  be  with 
her.  She  frequently  said  to  me,  "  Oh,  VAdiat  a  training 
that  was  for  me !  I  might  have  been  a  timid  one  all  my 
days  if  I  had  not  made  that  confession  before  the  church." 
Now  I  say  to  you,  if  it  be  an  ordeal,  undergo  it  for 
Christ's  sake.  But  indeed,  it  should  be  a  pleasure  to 
own  your  Lord  among  his  own  disciples. 

"  Alas  !"  says  one,  "  I  could  not  tell  of  what  the  Lord 
has  done  for  me,  because  mine  is  such  a  sorrowful  story. 
You  know  what  I  used  to  be,  sir,  sovereign  grace  has 
made  me  to  differ,  but  my  former  life  silences  me  ! " 
Was  it  not  so  Avith  this  woman  ?  How  could  she  tell  her 
story  ?  But  then  it  was  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  so, 
^^she  told  him  all  the  truth."  Whatever  you  were  before 
you  were  converted,  never  boast  of  it ;  but  at  the  same 
time  do  not  deny  it,  but  honor  your  Saviour.  Remember 
how  often  Paul  tells  us  what  he  was  before  conversion. 
If  any  rake  up  your,  old  sin,  answer  that  it  is  sadly  true, 
but  you  have  been  washed,  and  much  has  been  forgiven 
you.  Own  that  you  were  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  that 
even  noAV  you  are  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  but  the 
Lord  has  brought  you  from  death  to  life,  to  the  glory  of 
his  name. 


SUE   WAS  NOT  HID.  143 

^^  I  luave  so  little  to  tcll,'^  says  one.  That  is  a  good 
reason  why  you  should  tell  it^  for  it  will  be  all  the  easier 
for  you  to  do  so.  He  that  has  little  to  tell  shoidd  tell  it 
straight  away.  I  will  give  you  no  other  answer  than 
that.  But  still,  if  you  can  tell  that  the  Lord  Jesus  has 
washed  you  in  his  precious  blood,  I  do  not  think  it  is  a 
little  thing  to  tell.  If  you  can  say,  '^  Whereas  I  was 
blind,  noAV  I  see,"  say  it,  and  do  not  think  it  a  little 
thing.  Once  you  thought  it  the  greatest  fact  you 
could  possibly  know  :  think  so  still.  Don't  garnish  the 
story,  but  state  it  just  as  it  happened. 

*^  But  perhaps  people  may  not  believe  me."  Did  I 
tell  you  that  you  were  to  make  them  believe  you  %  Is 
that  your  business  ?  You  are  to  do  right,  whatever  the 
consequences  may  be.  But  they  will  believe  yeu,  if  you 
deserve  to  be  believed.  When  we  meet  together  as  be- 
lievers, and  hear  the  story  of  a  sinner  saved  by  grace, 
we  are  none  of  us  suspicious :  sometimes  we  are  a  little 
too  quick  to  believe,  and  are  apt  to  be  deceived.  Do  not 
fear  that  you  will  be  distrusted.  Confess  your  faith  at 
any  rate,  and  God  will  bless  your  testimony. 

'•''  Ah  !"  says  one,  "  but  suppose  after  I  had  confessed 
Christ  I  should  become  as  bad  as  ever."  Suppose  that 
this  woman  had  supposed  such  a  sad  thing,  and  had  said, 
^^  0  Lord  I  cannot  confess  that  thou  hast  healed  me,  for 
I  do  not  know  how  I  may  be  in  six  months'  time."  She 
was  not  so  mistrustful.  '^  But  suppose  the  Lord  should 
leave  me,  and  suffer  me  to  leave  him."  Yes,  and  sup- 
pose you  were  to  leave  off  supposing  anything  of  the  sort, 
and  just  take  his  promise  as  it  stands.  ^'  He  that  be- 
lieveth  in  him  hath  everlasting  life."  "He  that  belie veth 
and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,"  Do  you  believe  his 
word  %     Then  lay  aside  such  suspicions.     Jesus  does  not 


144  SHE   WAS  NOT  HID. 

give  us  a  triimpeiy,  temporary  salvation  ;  lie  does  not 
save  us  for  a  quarter  of  a  year  and  then  leave  us.  If 
saved  by  him,  you  will  be  for  ever  saved  !  He  is  the 
Author  of  eternal  salvation.  If  he  gives  you  a  new  heart 
it  is  a  new  heart,  and  will  never  become  an  old  one.  If 
he  puts  the  water  of  life  within  you^  he  does  not  put  it 
there  as  you  sprinkle  the  pavement  before  your  shop  in 
the  morning,  which  is  soon  dried  up,  but  he  says,  '•''  The 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life."  When  I 
trusted  Christ,  I  did  not  trust  him  to  save  me  for  a  year 
or  two,  but  for  ever.  When  you  go  the  heavenly  journey, 
take  a  ticket  all  the  way  through.  Some  of  our  friends  take 
a  ticket  to  the  next  station,  and  rush  out  to  get  another, 
Take  your  ticket  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  not  for  a 
halfway-house.  The  train  will  never  break  down,  and 
the  track  will  never  be  torn  up.  If  you  can  trust  Jesus 
Christ  to  carry  you  through  to  glory,  he  wUl  do  it.  Let 
not  that  fear  disturb  you. 

^^  Ah  !  '^  says  one  more,  ^4t  seems  too  good  to  be  true. 
I  cannot  think  that  such  a  one  as  I  may  dare  to  link  my- 
self with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  so  great  and  so 
glorious."  Yet  this  is  your  only  hope.  You  are  only 
saved  through  being  in  Christ.  This  may  be  too  great, 
too  good  for  us  to  imagine,  but  then  we  need  not  imagine 
it;  it  is  clearly  revealed  in  the  infallible  Word  of  God. 
He  that  believeth  in  Jesus  is  one  with  him.  Come,  then, 
and  own  that  blessed  oneness. 

Be  one  with  Christ  to-day  in  his  humiliation,  and  you 
shall  be  one  with  him  by-and-by  in  his  glory.  Ee 
despised  and  ridiculed  for  his  sake,  and  you  shaU  be 
honored  and  glorified  with  him  in  the  day  when  he  ap- 
peareth.     God  bless  you  for  Christ's  sake  I     Amen. 


VII. 

^^  David's  spoil.'' 

April  15,  1888. 
"This  is  David's  spoil."  -1  Samuel  xxx.  20. 

We  have  aforetime  gathered  spoil  for  ourselves  out  of 
David's  behavior  in  the  hour  of  his  sorrow  at  Ziklag, 
and  we  will  now  turn  to  the  other  side  of  this  leaf  in  his 
history,  and  receive  instruction  from  the  time  of  his  vic- 
tory. But  we  must  not  do  this  till  we  have  refreshed 
our  memories  with  the  story  of  his  conduct  under  dis- 
tress. When  he  came  to  the  city  he  found  it  burned 
with  fire,  the  property  of  himself  and  comrades  carried 
away,  and,  what  Avas  worse,  all  their  wives,  and  their 
sons,  and  their  daughters,  gone  into  captivity.  In  the 
madness  of  their  grief  the  people  turned  upon  their  lead- 
er, as  if  he  had  led  them  into  this  calamity.  lie  was  the 
only  calm  person  among  them,  for  he  "  encouraged  him- 
self in  the  Lord  his  God."  With  due  deliberation  he 
waited  upon  the  Lord,  and  consulted  the  oracle  through 
the  appointed  priest,  and  then,  under  divine  guidance,  he 
pursued  the  banditti,  took  them  at  unawares,  recovered 
all  his  people's  goods,  and  captured  a  large  booty  Avhicli 
the  Amalekites  had  collected  elsewhere.  David,  who 
had  been  the  chief  object  of  the  people's  mutiny,  and  the 
leader  of  the  successful  pursuit  of  the  robbers,  most  prop- 
erly received  a  special  portion  of  the  spoil,  and  concern- 

a45) 


146  *' DAVID'S  SPOILS 

ing   it   the  words  of  our   text  were  spoken,    ^*  This    is 
David's  spoil." 

We  shall  now  look  into  this  victorious  act  on  the  part 
of  David  with  the  view  of  finding  spiritual  teaching  in  it. 
David  rnay  be  regarded  as  a  very  special  type  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Among  the  personal  types  David 
holds  a  leading  place,  for  in  so  many  points  he  is  the 
prophetic  foreshadowing  of  the  great  and  glorious  Son  of 
David.  Whenever  David  acts  as  the  man  after  God's 
own  heart,  he  is  the  picture  and  emblem  of  the  One  who 
is  still  more  after  God's  own  heart,  even  the  Christ  of  God- 
David,  under  divine  guidance,  pursued  the  Amalekites, 
who  had  come  as  thieves  to  smite  and  to  burn,  and  carry 
away  captive.  The  marauders  were  overtaken  and 
slaughtered,  and  a  great  spoil  was  the  result.  David  re- 
covered all  that  the  Amalekites  had  taken.  ''■  And  there 
was  nothing  lacking  to  them,  neither  small  nor  great, 
neither  sons  nor  daughters,  neither  spoil,  nor  anything 
that  they  had  taken  to  them :  David  recovered  all." 
We  are  told  several  times  over  in  the  chapter  that  noth- 
ing was  lacking  :  "  David  recovered  all."  When  our 
Lord  Jesus  wrought  out  cur  redemption,  he  recovered 
all,  and  left  nothing  in  the  enemy's  hand.  All  glory  to 
his  name  !  But  over  and  above,  David  took  great  store 
of  cattle,  and  jewels,  and  gold,  and  silver,  and  so  forth, 
which  belonged  to  the  Amalekites,  and  out  of  this  a 
bountiful  portion  was  taken  which  was  set  apart  as  David's 
spoil.  David's  men,  in  the  moment  of  their  despair,  had 
spoken  of  stoning  him  *,  but  now,  in  the  morning  of  their 
victory,  with  general  acclamations,  they  determine  that 
David  shall  have,  as  his  portion  of  the  spoil,  all  the 
cattle  which  belong  to  the  Amalekites  themselves  ;  and 
so,  driving  these  in  front,  as  they  return  to  Ziklag,  they 


"^ DAVID'S  spoil:'  147 

say,  ^'  This  is  David's  spoil."  I  think  I  hear  them,  as 
they  drive  the  bullocks  and  the  sheep  before  them,  shout- 
in  (^  riglit  lustily,  ^^  This  is  David's  spoil." 

Now,  using  David  as  the  type  of  Christ,  I  want,  if  I 
can,  to  set  all  David's  men — all  Christ's  men — shouting 
with  all  their  hearts,  ^'  This  is  Jesus'  spoil !  "  He  it  is 
of  whom  Jehovah  saith,  ''  I  will  divide  him  a  portion  with 
the  great,  and  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong.'^ 
Pie  has  a  grand  reward  as  the  result  of  the  great  battle 
of  his  life  and  death.  We  will  even  now  award  to  him  the 
spoil,  and  cry,  "  This  is  David's  spoil ;  "  feeling,  all  the 
while,  as  the  Psalmist  did,  when  he  said,  ^'  Thou  art 
more  glorious  and  excellent  than  the  momitains  of  prey.'^ 

I.  We  begin  with  the  first  observation  that,  practically, 
all  the  spoil  of  that  day  was  David^s  spoil,   and  in  truth 

ALL  THE  GOOD  THAT  WE  ENJOY  COMES  TO  US  THROUGH 

OUR  Lord  Je^us.  He  has  been  given  as  a  Leader  and 
a  Commander  to  the  people,  and  every  victory  they  win 
is  due  to  him,  and  to  him  alone.  Without  him  we  can 
do  nothing,  and  without  him  we  can  ohtain  nothing.  All 
that  we  once  possessed  by  nature,  and  under  the  law,  the 
spoiler  has  taken  away.  By  our  own  efforts  we  can 
never  regain  what  we  have  lost;  only  through  our  great 
Leader  can  we  be  restored  and  made  happy.  We  ascribe 
unto  Jesus  all  our  gains,  even  as  David's  men  honored 
their  captain. 

For,  first,  David's  men  defeated  the  Amalekites,  and 
took  their  spoil,  but  it  ivas  for  DavicVs  sake  that  God  gave 
success  to  the  hand.  God's  eye  rested  upon  his  chosen 
servant,  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  it  was  not  for  the  war- 
riors' own  sakes,  but  for  David's  sake,  that  God  guided 
them  to  the  hosts  of  Amalek^  and  gave  them  like  driven 
stubble  to  their  sword.     How  much  more  true  it  is  to  us 


148  ''DAVID'S  spoil:' 

that  Gv^ery  blessing,  every  pardoning  mercy,  every  de- 
livering mercy,  is  given  to  us  through  him  who  is  our 
shield  and  God's  anointed  !  It  is  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
that  we  are  pardoned,  justified,  accepted,  preserved, 
sanctified.  Only  through  this  channel  does  the  mercy 
of  God  come  to  us.  The  Lord  God  saith,  ^^  Not  for 
your  sakes  do  I  this,  O  house  of  Israel !  Be  ashamed 
and  confounded  for  your  own  ways  ;  '^  and  we,  in  re- 
sponse to  that,  can  answer,  ^^  Not  imto  us,  not  mito  us, 
but  unto  the  name  of  the  Well-beloved  be  praise,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  for  ever  and  ever !  "  Since  everything 
comes  to  us  because  of  Christ  Jesus,  we  may  say  of  every 
covenant  mercy,  "  This  is  David's  spoil.''  On  this  bless- 
ing, and  on  that  favor,  yea,  on  them  all,  we  see  the 
mark  of  the  cross.  These  are  all  fruits  of  our  Eedeemer's 
passion,  the  purchase  of  his  blood.  Again  we  say  with 
gratitude,  '^  This  is  David's  spoil." 

Moreover,  Z)az;i"(Z's  me?^  gained  tli)  vidori/ over  AmaJeJo 
hecause  of  David's  leadership.  If  he  had  not  been  there 
to  lead  them  to  the  fight,  in  the  moment  of  their  despair 
they  would  have  lost  all  heart,  and  would  have  remained 
amidst  the  burning  walls  of  Ziklag,  a  discomfited  com- 
pany. But  David  encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord,  and 
so  encouraged  all  his  desponding  followers.  Drawing 
his  SAVord,  and  marching  in  front,  he  put  spirit  into 
them :  they  all  followed  with  eager  step  because  their 
gallant  leader  so  courageously  led  the  way.  This  is  exactly 
our  case,  beloved,  only  we  are  even  more  indebted  to  our 
L(jrd  Jesus  than  these  men  were  to  David.  The  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  has  been  here  among  us,  and  has  fought 
our  battle  for  us,  and  recovered  all  that  we  had  lost  by 
Adam's  fall  and  by  our  own  sin.  It  is  written  of  him, 
^'  He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  discouraored."     You  know  how 


''DAVID'S  SPOIW  149 

he  set  his  face  like  a  flint,  how  stout-hearted  he  was  to 
accomplish  the  work  of  our  redemption,  and  liow  he 
ceased  not  till  he  coidd  cry  victoriously,  ^^  It  is  finished." 

''Our  fflorions  Leader  elaims  onr  praise 
For  his  own  pattern  given." 

Following  at  his  feet,  we,  too,  fight  with  sin.  Tread- 
ing in  his  footsteps  we,  too,  overcome  the  world,  the  flesh, 
and  the  devil.  Have  you  never  heard  him  say,  "  Be  of 
good  cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world "  ?  And  you, 
dear  brothers  and  sisters,  whatever  victories  you  win, 
whatever  spoils  you  divide,  A\'ill  own  that  it  is  through 
Jesus  that  you  have  conquered.  They  said  of  Waterloo 
that  it  was  a  soldiers'  battle,  and  the  victory  was  due  to 
the  men ;  but  ours  is  our  Conniiander's  battle,  and  every 
victory  won  by  us  is  due  to  the  great  Captain  of  our  sal- 
vation. Let  the  crown  be  set  upon  his  head,  even  on 
the  battle-field,  and  let  us  say  of  every  sin  that  we  have 
overcome,  every  evil  habit  that  we  have  destroyed 
"This  is  David's  spoil."  We  had  never  won  this  victory 
if  Jesus  had  not  led  us  :  we  have  it  for  his  sake.  We 
have  it  under  his  leadership.  Without  exception,  all  the 
saints  on  earth  and  in  heaven  confess  this  to  be  true, 

*'  I  ask  them  whence  their  victory  came  ? 
They,  with  united  breath, 
Ascribe  their  conquest  to  the  Lamb, 
Their  triumph  to  his  death. 

They  mark'd  the  footsteps  that  he  trod, 

His  zeal  inspired  their  breast. 
And,  following  their  incarnate  God, 

Possess  the  promised  rest=" 

I  will  not  say  more  upon  this  point,  but  only  ask  you 
to  remember  that  by  nature  we  had  all  lost  everything. 


150  '^ DAVID'S  spoil:' 

We  lost  the  garden  with  all  its  Paradisiacal  joys  ;  lost 
this  world^  the  very  earth  bringing  forth  thorns  and 
thistles  to  us ;  lost  life^  lost  hope,  lost  peace,  lost  the 
favor  of  God.  But  Jesus  has  recovered  all.  All  that  the 
first  Adam  lost,  the  second  Adam  has  restored.  David 
recovered  all,  and  Jesus  has  recovered  all.  We  our- 
selves were  lost ;  but  Jesus  has  brought  us  back  from 
the  hand  of  the  enemy.  He  has  given  us  ourselves,  if  I 
may  use  such  an  expression,  and  now  we  who  were 
dead  are  alive  again,  the  lost  are  found.  Once,  every 
faculty  of  ours  was  being  used  for  our  oa^ti  destruction, 
but  now,  sanctified  by  the  grace  of  God,  all  is  being  used 
for  God's  glory,  and  for  our  OAvn  ripening  and  perfecting. 
Jesus  has  recovered  us  for  ourselves  and  for  our  God  :  the 
prey  has  been  taken  from  the  mighty,  and  the  lawful 
captive  has  been  delivered. 

Yes,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  has  recovered  for  us  the 
future  as  well  as  the  past.  Our  outlook  was  grim  and 
dark  indeed  till  Jesus  came ;  but  oh,  how  bright  it  is 
now  that  he  has  completed  his  glorious  work  !  Death  is 
no  more  the  dreaded  grave  of  all  our  hopes.  Hell  exists 
no  longer  for  believers.  Heaven,  whose  gates  were 
closed,  is  now  set  wide  open  to  every  soul  that  believeth. 
We  have  recovered  life  and  immortal  bliss.  We  are 
snatched  like  brands  from  the  burning,  and  are  made  to 
shine  like  lamps  of  the  palace  of  the  great  King.  We 
are  set  up  to  be  for  ever  trophies  of  the  conquering  power 
of  Jesus,  our  glorious  David.  Look  at  all  the  saints  in 
heaven  in  their  serried  ranks,  and  say  of  them  all,  ^^  This 
is  David's  spoil.''  Look  at  the  blood-bought  church  of 
God  on  earth — the  ten  thousands  that  are  already  washed 
in  his  blood,  and  following  at  his  feet — we  may  say  of  all 
this  ransomed  flock,  ''This  is  David's  spoil."     Each  one 


'' DAVID'S   SPOIL.''  151 

of  US,  looking  at  himsolf,  and  all  his  past,  and  all  his 
future,  may  say,  ^'  This,  too,  is  David's  spoil."  Christ 
has  done  it,  and  done  it  all,  and  unto  his  name  let  the 
whole  host  shout  the  victory. 

I  feel  as  if  I  could  stop  the  sermon,  and  ask  you  to 
sing,  but  it  will  be  better  if  I  content  myself  with  repeat- 
ing, the  hymn — 

"  Rejoice,  ye  shining  worlds  on  liigh, 
Behold  the  King  of  glory  nigh! 
He  conies  adorned  Avith  victory, 
He  made  our  foes  before  him  flee. 

*'  Ye  heavenly  gates,  yonr  leaves  display, 
To  make  the  Lord  the  Saviour  way  ! 
Laden  with  spoils  from  earth  and  hell. 
The  Conqueror  comes  with  God  to  dwelL 

*' Raised  from  the  dead,  he  goes  before; 
,»He  opens  heaven's  eternal  door: 
To  give  his  saints  a  blest  abode. 
Near  their  Redeemer  and  their  God." 

II.  But  the  most  interesting  part  of  our  subject  is 
this  :  all  the  booty  was  practically  David's  spoil,  but 
there  was  a  part  of  it  which  was  not  recovered,  but  was 
a  clear  gain.  They  recovered  all  they  had  lost,  and 
over  and  above  there  was  a  surplus  of  spoil  from  the  de- 
feated foe.  Now,  in  the  great  battle  of  Christ  on  our 
behalf,  he  has  not  only  given  us  back  what  we  lost,  but 
h3  has  given  us  what  Adam  in  his  perfection  never  had. 
And  I  want  you  to  dwell  upon  that,  because  this  part  of 
it  is  peculiarly   our  Lord's  spoil.     Those  good  things 

WHICH    WE    NOW    POSSESS,    OVER     AND     ABOVE   WHAT   WE 
LOST    BY    SIN,    COME  TO    US    BY     THE    LORD    JeSUS.      Now 

that  the  Son  of  God  has  come  into   the   field,  he   is  not 


152  ''DAVID'S  SPOIL.'' 

content  with  restoration,  lie  turns  the  loss  into  a  gain^  the 
fall  into  a  greater  rising. 

And  first,  dear  friends,  think  :    In  Christ  Jesus  human 
nature  is  lifted  up  ivhere  it  never  could  have  been   before. 
Man  was  made  in  his  innocence  to  occupy  a  very  lofty 
place.     ^'  Thou  madest  him   to   have  dominion   over  all 
the  works  of  thy  hands  j  thou  hast  put   all  things  under 
his  feet."     Man  would  have  enjoyed   that  dominion  had 
he  never  fallen,  but  he  never  could  have  obtained  what 
he  has  now  gained,  for  ^^  we   see  Jesus,  who  was  made  a 
little  lower  than  the  angels  for  the    suffering  of  death, 
crowned  with  glory  and  honor.'^     And  we  see  in  Jesus 
human  natm-e  joined  in  mysterious  imion  Avith  the  God- 
head.    I  never  know  how  to  speak  about  this  miracle  of 
the  divine  incarnation.     We  are  men  and   women,  poor 
creatures  at  our  very  best ;  yet  in  Christ  Jesus  our  dig- 
nity is  perfectly  amazing.      Angels  excel  in  strength  and 
beauty,  but  no  angel  was  ever  joined  to  the  Godhead  as 
manhood  is  now  united  to  God.     The  nearest   being  to 
God  is  man.     The   noblest   existence — how  shall  I  word 
it? — the  noblest  of  all  beings  is   God,  and  the  God-man 
Christ  Jesus,  in  whom  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  God- 
head bodily,  is  with  him  upon   his  throne.     It  is  a  won- 
drous honor  this — that  manhood  should  be  taken  into  in- 
timate connection,   yea,  absolute  union  with  God  !     For 
listen :    through  Jesus  Christ  we  are  this  day  made  the 
sons  of  God,  which  angels  never  were.      ^^  Unto  which  of 
the  angels  said  he  at  any  time,  Thou  art  my  Son  ?  "    But 
he  has  said  this  to  us.     Christ  took  not  up  angels,  but  he 
took  up  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  he  has  made  the  be- 
lieving seed  of  Abraham  to  be  the  sons  of  God.     Listen 
again :    "  And    if  children,   then   heirs ;  heirs    of  God.'^ 
God's  heirs !     What  a  word  is   this  !     How  simple,  but 


''DAVID'S   SPOILS  153 

liow  suWime  !  I  know  how  to  say  it,  but  not  how  to  ex- 
pound it  !  It  docs  not  want  explanation,  and  yet  its 
depths  are  fathomless.  Every  believer  is  God's  heir — 
the  heir  of  God.  Could  this  have  been,  had  there  been 
no  fall  and  no  redemption  I  Children  and  heirs  are  more 
than  was  ever  spoken  of  in  Eden.  Ay,  listen  yet  again. 
Now  we  .are  one  with  God  in  Christ  Jesus  5  for  it  is  writ- 
ten concerning  our  Lord,  "•  We  are  members  of  his  body, 
of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones."  Close  as  the  marriage- 
union  is,  yet  Paul  declared,  when  he  spake  of  it,  ^^  This 
is  a  great  mystery  :  but  I  speak  concerning  Christ  and 
the  church."  Unfallen  manhood  was  never  declared  to 
be  one  with  the  Son  of  God,  and  yet  through  the  cove- 
Hcint  of  grace  this  is  our  position.  We  are  joined  by 
vital,  real,  conjugal  union  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
Highest,  very  God  of  very  God  ;  and  this  is  an  elevation 
so  transcendent  that  I  feel  bowed  down  beneath  the 
weight  of  glory  which  is  revealed  in  us.  The  most  glori- 
ous being  next  to  God  is  man.  A  sinner  most  shameful 
once,  but  now  in  Christ  a  child  accepted  and  honored ! 
What  can  I  say  of  this  but  "  This  is  David's  spoil  "  ? 
This  is  what  Jesus  brought  us.  It  came  to  us  by  no 
other  way  or  method.  Neither  do  we  know  in  what  way 
or  method  it  could  have  been  given  to  us,  but  by  the  will 
of  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  given  to  us 
through  Jesus  Christ,  our  elder  Brother  and  our  cove- 
nant Head,  and  unto  him  let  the  glory  of  it  be  ascribed 
world  without  end. 

Another  blessing  which  w^as  not  ours  before  the  fall, 
and  therefore  never  was  lost,  but  comes  to  us  as  a  sur- 
plusage, is  the  fact  that  tve  are  redeemed.  You  sang  just 
now  that  verse, 


154:  -''DAVID'S  SPOIL.'' 

"  Never  did  angels  taste  above 
Redeeming  grace  and  dying  love." 

It  is  clear  tliat  you  could  never  have  known  free  grace 
and  dying  love  if  Jesus  had  not  come  to  redeem  you. 
Unfallen  intelligent  spirits  will  say  in  eternity^  ^^  Do  you 
see  those  beings  bowing  nearest  to  the  eternal  throne  I 
Do  you  see  those  wxll-beloved  creatures?  Who  are 
they  %  "  Spirits  that  have  lived  in  other  w^orlds  will  come 
crowding  up  to  the  great  metropolis,  and  will  say  one  to 
another,  ^' Who  are  those  courtiers — those  that  dwell 
nearest  to  God  f  Who  are  they  %  "  And  one  spirit  wdil 
say  to  another,  '-''  They  are  beings  whom  God  not  only 
made  as  he  made  us,  but  wdiom  the  eternal  Son  of  God 
redeemed  by  blood."  And  one  shining  one  will  say  to 
his  fellow,  ^'  What  is  that  ?  Tell  me  that  strange  story.'' 
Then  will  his  companion  delight  to  say,  '^  They  were 
saved  because  the  Son  of  God  took  their  nature,  and  in 
that  nature  died."  "Wonderful!  Wonderful!"  his 
friend  will  answer.  "How  could  it  be  %  Was  there  suf- 
fering for  them,  and  pain  for  them,  and  bloody  sweat  for 
them,  and  death  for.  them  on  the  part  of  the  ever  blessed 
Son  of  God  ? "  The  answer  "  It  was  even  so,"  will  be 
new^s  full  of  astonishment  even  to  the  best  instructed 
celestial  mind.  Spirits  will  look  at  us  with  wonder,  and 
say,  "  What  strange  beings  are  these  %  Others  are  the 
work  of  God's  hands,  but  these  are  the  fruit  of  the  travail 
of  his  soul.  On  others  we  see  the  marks  of  divine  skill 
and  power,  but  here  we  see  the  tokens  of  a  divine  sacri- 
fice— a  divine  blood-shedding."  Truly,  we  may  say  of 
our  redemption,  "  This  is  David's  spoil."  That  you  and 
I  should  be  such  wonders  as  we  must  be  in  being  re- 
deemed beings,  is  indeed  something  given  to  us  by  Jesus 
over  and  above  what  Adam  lost ;  and  throughout  eternity 


''DAVID'S   SPOIL."  155 

all  the  sacred  brotherhood  of  the  redeemed  by  blood  will 
be  princes  in  the  courts  of  God — the  aristocracy  of 
heaven,  for  ^^  he  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God.'' 

We  shall  he  creatures  ivlio  have  hioivn  siUj  and  have  been 
recovered  from  its  pollution.     There  will  be  no  fear  of  our 
being  exalted  with  pride  or  drawn  away  by  ambition  as 
the   now-apostate  angels  were  ;  for  we  shall  constantly 
remember  what  sin  did  for  us,  and  how  grievous  w^as  our 
fault.     We  shall  for  ever  remember  the  price  at  Avhich 
we  were  redeemed ;  and  we  shall  have  ties  upon  us  that 
will  bind  us  to  an  undeviating  loyalty  to  him  wdio  exahed 
us  to  so  glorious  a  condition.      It  seems  to  me  wonderful 
beyond  expression :  the  more  I  consider,  the  more  I  am 
astonished.     A  spirit   that  has  never   fallen   cannot    be 
trusted  in  the  same  way   as   one  that  has  fallen  and  has 
been  delivered,    and  has  been  new-created,   and  blood- 
washed,  and  has  been  gifted  with  an  abiding   and  eter- 
nal character.     Such   a   being  shall  never  fall,   because 
for  ever  held  by  cords  of  love  eternal,  and  bonds  of  grati- 
tude infinitely   strong,    which  will  never   let   it  waver  in 
holy  service.     It  is   a  work  worthy   of  a   God  to  create 
such  beings   as  we   shall  be,  since  we  shall   be   securely 
bound   to  voluntary  holiness ;   and   our  wdlls,  though  al- 
ways free,  shall  be  immutably  loyal  to  our  Lord.     As  the 
twice-born,  we  shall   be  the   noblest  of  God's  works ;  we 
shall  be  the  first-fruits  of  his  creatures ;  we  shall  be  ac- 
counted as   the  royal  treasure   of  Jehovah.      Then  shall 
we  sit  with   Christ  upon  his  throne,  and  reign  w^ith  him 
for  ever.      ''  This  is  David's  spoil." 

We  receive  hlessings  unJcnown  to  beings  ivho  have  never 
fallen.  I  sometimes  murmur  to  myself— and  sweet  music 
it  has  been  as  I  have  quietly  murmured  it — we  are  the 


156  ''DAVID'S  spoil:' 

elect  of  God.  Election  is  a  privilege  most  high  and 
precious,  what  can  exceed  it  in  delight  I  This  also  is 
Uavid's  spoil.  We  are  also  redeemed  from  among  men  : 
the  redemption  of  the  soul  is  precious.  ^'  This  is  David's 
spoil.'^  We  are  covenanted  ones,  with  whom  God  has 
entered  into  bonds  of  promise,  swearing  by  an  oath  to 
keep  his  word  :  this,  too,  is  David's  spoil.  Where  had 
you  ever  heard  of  redemption,  election,  covenant,  and 
such-like  words,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  blessed  Christ 
of  God,  who  hath  redeemed  us  by  his  blood  %  Sing  ye, 
then,  who  have  received  back  your  lost  inheritance  ;  and 
sing  more  sweetly  still,  ye  who  have  been  blessed  with 
all  spiritual  blessings,  in  the  heavenlies  according  as  the 
Father  hath  chosen  you  in  Christ  Jesus.  Sing  ye  aloud 
imto  his  holy  name ;  and  say  of  your  special  privileges, 
"  This  is  David's  spoil." 

Again,  to  my  mind  it  is  a  very  blessed  fact  that  you 
and  I  will  partake  of  a  privilege  which  woidd  have  been 
certainly  unnecessary  to  Adam,  and  could  not  by  Adam 
have  been  known,  and  that  is,  the  privilege  of  resurrection. 
We  shall  die  unless  the  Lord  should  suddenly  appear.  I 
would  not  have  you,  brothers  and  sisters,  look  upon 
the  prospect  of  death  with  any  sort  of  dread.  I  know 
that  death  is  associated  with  pain  ;  but  nothing  can  be 
more  absurd.  There  is  no  pain  in  death  :  pain  belongs 
to  life ;  death,  even  naturally,  puts  an  end  to  pain.  But 
death  to  the  believer  is  undressing  as  his  Lord  undressed 
— putting  off  garments  of  which,  I  trow,  we  need  not  be 
so  very  fond,  for  they  do  fit  us  ill  ;  and  oftentimes,  when 
our  spirit  is  willing,  it  is  hampered  by  these  garments  of 
clay,  for  the  flesh  is  weak.  Some  look  with  intense  de- 
light to  the  prospect  of  the  Saviour's  coming,  as  a  means 
of  escape  from    death.     I    confess  I  have  but  slender 


'^DAVID'S  spoil:'  157 

sympathy  with  tliem.  If  I  miglit  have  my  choice,  I 
wouhl  prefer,  of  the  two,  to  die.  Let  it  be  as  the  Lord 
wills ;  but  there  is  a  point  of  fellowship  with  Christ  in 
death  which  they  will  miss  who  shall  not  sleep ;  and  it 
seems  to  me  to  have  some  sweetness  in  it  to  follow  the 
Lamb  Avhithersoever  he  goeth,  even  though  he  descend 
unto  the  sepulchre.  "  Where  should  the  dying  members 
rest  but  with  their  dying  Head  ?  "  That  grave  of  our 
blessed  Lord,  if  he  had  not  meant  us  to  enter  it,  would 
have  been  left  an  empty  tenement  w^hen  he  came  away ; 
but  when  he  came  out  of  it,  he  left  it  furnished  for  those 
that  should  come  after  him.  See  there  the  grave-clothes 
folded  up  for  us  to  use  ?  The  bed  is  prepared  for  our 
slumber. 

The  napkin  is  laid  by  itself,  because  it  is  not  for  the 
sleeper,  but  for  those  who  have  lost  his  company.  Those 
who  remain  behind  may  dry  their  eyes  with  the  napkin, 
but  the  grave-clothes  are  reserved  for  others  who  will 
occupy  the  royal  bed-chamber.  When  great  men  re- 
moved in  the  olden  time,  their  servants  took  away  the 
arras  or  hangings  of  their  chambers  ;  but  if  those  hang- 
ings remained,  it  was  for  the  convenience  of  guests  who 
were  invited  to  occupy  my  lord^s  rooms.  See,  then,  our 
Lord  expects  us  to  lie  in  his  royal  bed-chamber,  for  he 
has  left  the  hangings  behind  him  !  To  the  retiring-room 
of  the  tomb  we  shall  go  in  due  time.  And  why  should 
we  be  grieved  to  go  ?  For  we  shall  come  forth  again  : 
we  shall  rise  from  the  dead.  ^^Thy  brother  shall  rise 
again,"  was  Mary's  consolation  from  the  Master's  lips. 
It  is  yours.  We  are  not  going  to  a  prison,  but  to  a  bath, 
wherein  the  body,  like  Esther,  shall  be  purified  to  behold 
the  King.  It  is  our  joy  to  be  sure  that  ''  as  the  Lord 
our  Saviour  rose,  so  all  his  followers  must."     We  do  not 


158  '^ DAVID'S  spoil:' 

know  much  about  the  resurrection  of  thebodv,  and  there- 
fore  we  will  not  attempt  to  describe  it ;  but  surely  it  will 
be  a  delightful  thing  to  be  able  to  dwell  for  ever  in  a 
body  that  has  been  in  the  grave,  and  has  had  fulfilled  in 
it  the  sentence,  ^^  Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou 
return/'  but  which  has  been  raised  again  by  that  same 
power  which  raised  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead. 
We  shall  inhabit  a  body  which  shall  no  more  see  corrup- 
tion, nor  be  subject  to  weakness,  or  pain,  or  decay,  but 
shall  be  like  the  glorified  person  of  our  Lord.  Oh,  there 
is  sweetness  in  the  thought  that  we  shall  in  this  for  ever 
have  fellowship  with  our  risen  Lord  !  Children  of  the 
resurrection,  dread  not  death  !  Your  faces  are  turned  to 
the  sun.  Press  forward  to  the  light  eternal,  and  fear  not 
to  pass  through  the  death-shadow :  it  is  no  more  than  a 
shadow.  If  you  cannot  leap  over  the  grave,  you  can 
pass  through  it.  It  shall  be  your  joy  to  rise  when  the 
morning  breaketh,  and  to  be  satisfied  ;  for  you  shall  Avake 
up  in  his  likeness.  As  for  the  resurrection,  ^^  this  is 
David's  spoil,"  this  is  Christ's  gift  and  boon.  The 
resurrection  from  the  dead  is  the  peculiar  glory  of 
Christianity.  The  immortality  of  the  soul  had  been 
taught  and  known  before,  for  it  is  a  truth  which  even 
reason  itself  teaches ;  but  the  resurrection  of  the  body 
comes  in  as  the  last  and  crowning  comfort  of  our  spirits : 
and  ^^  this  is  David's  spoil." 

Let  me  not  weary  you.  The  topic  might  well  interest 
us  on  several  occasions  ;  it  is  too  large  to  be  confined  to 
one  discourse.  Our  singular  relation  to  God,  and  yet  to 
materialismj  is  another  rare  gift  of  Jesus.  Cod  in- 
tended, by  the  salvation  of  man,  and  the  lifting  up  of 
man  into  union  with  himself,  to  link  together  in  one  the 
lowest  and  the  highest — -his  creation  and  himself.     Shall 


'^  DAVID'S  SPOIL.''  -        159 

I  make  it  very  plain  ?  These  poor  substances — earth, 
water,  and  the  like — they  seem  far  dov/n  in  the  scale. 
God  makes  a  being  that  shall  be,  as  an  old  Puritan  used 
to  say,  half  soul  and  half  soil ;  even  man,  who  is  both 
spirit  and  dust  of  the  earth.  We  find  in  him  Avatcr,  salts, 
acids,  all  sorts  of  substances  combined  to  make  up  a  body, 
and  married  to  this  is  a  soul,  which  is  brother  to  the 
angels,  and  akin  to  Deity.  Materialism  is  somewhat  ex- 
alted in  being  connected  with  spirit  at  all.  When  spirit 
becomes  connected  with  God,  and  refined  materialism 
becomes  connected  with  a  purified  spirit,  by  the  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  up- 
lifting of  clay,  and  its  junction  with  the  celestial.  Do 
you  not  see  how  God,  in  the  perfecting  of  his  gracious 
purpose  through  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  causes  his 
glory  to  be  reflected  even  upon  what  we  regard  as  poor 
material  substances,  gross  and  mean  ? 

Try  and  get  at  my  meaning  again.  Quakers,  whom  I 
greatly  respect,  get  rid  of  the  two  ordinances,  by  denying 
that  they  are  of  perpetual  obligation.  They  banish  bap- 
tism :  they  put  away  the  Lord's  supper.  I  have  some- 
times wished  that  I  were  able  to  agree  with  them,  because 
my  whole  spirit  and  tendency  are  towards  the  spiritual 
rather  than  the  ritual ;  but  if  anything  be  plain  to  me  in 
Scripture,  it  is  that  Jesus  Christ  did  command  us  to  be 
baptized  in  water  in  the  Triune  name,  and  that  he  bade 
his  disciples  remember  him  in  the  breaking  of  bread  and 
in  the  drinking  of  the  cup.  The  danger  of  men's  making 
too  much  of  outward  forms  was  encountered  for  some 
wise  purpose.  It  was,  I  think,  because  God  would  have 
us  know  that  even  the  material,  though  it  can  only  enter 
the  outer  court,  is  still  to  be  sanctified  unto  himself. 
Therefore,  water,  bread,  and  wine,  all  material  substances, 


IGO  ''DAVID'S  spoil:' 

are  used  not  only  as  symbols^  but  as  tokens  that  all  created 
tilings  shall  be  ennobled  and  sanctified.  Look  ye,  sirs, 
^^  Creation  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but 
by  reason  of  him  who  hath  subjected  the  same  in  hope.'' 
Through  man's  sin  this  outward  world  became  blackened 
darkened,  and  degraded  j  but  God  intends,  through  man, 
to  lift  up  the  nethermost  extremities  of  his  creation  into 
a  gTGater  nearness  to  himself  than  they  ever  could  have 
reached  by  any  other  means.  And  this  is  how  it  comes 
about.  We  are  taking  up  with  us,  as  it  were,  the  earth 
which  makes  a  part  of  ourselves.  We  are  drawing  up 
with  om'selves  the  earth  in  those  simple  symbols  with 
which  we  worship  God.  We  are  ourselves  lifted  up  as 
spirits,  and  we  are  soon  to  be  lifted  up  as, spirits  enshrined 
in  purified  bodies,  and  thus  we  bring  the  whole  creation 
of  God  into  nearer  contact  with  himself.  Hence  it  is  that 
we  are  called  '^Jiings  and  priests.''  What  can  the  dead 
earth  do  in  Avorship  till  there  comes  one  who  worships 
God  as  the  world's  priest  ?  What  can  the  fields  and 
Avoods  and  hills  say  in  the  worship  of  God  ?  They  are 
dumb  till  a  tongue  attempts  the  holy  task  of  uttering 
their  praise.  You  and  I  are  made  of  such  stuff  as  the 
world  aromid  us,  and  yet  we  are  the  compeers  of  angels. 
We  are  brothers  to  the  worm ;  and  this  body  of  ours  is 
but  a  child  of  mother  earth  on  which  it  lives.  See  then 
how  mother  earth  Avorships  God  through  us,  and  dull, 
dead  matter  finds  life  and  song.  Behold  the  mists  and 
clouds  become  a  steaming  incense  of  praise  to  God  through 
men  like  ourselves,  who,  because  Christ  Avas  slain,  haA^e 
been  made  kings  and  priests  unto  God. 

I  AAdsh  you  Avould,  rather  than  listen  to  me,  try  and 
muse  upon  the  Avonderfid  position  which  redeemed  men 
do  now  occupy,  and  will  occupy  for  CA^er  and  CA^er.     For 


'^DAIVD'S  spoil:'  1(;2 

my  OAvn  part,  I  would  not  change  places  with  the  angel 
Gabriel,  nay,  not  if  he  gave  me  his  swift  wing  to  boot, 
for  I  believe  that  an  infinitely  greater  honor  belongs  to 
the  least  of  God's  children  than  to  the  very  highest  of 
God's  servants.  To  be  a  child  of  God — oh  bliss  ! — there 
is  no  glory  that  can  excel  it.  But  all  this  is  a  special 
gift  to  our  humanity  through  our  Lord  Jesus.  "  This  is 
David's  spoil." 

Our  manifestation  of  the  full  (jJory  of  God  is  another  of 
the  choice  gifts  which  the  pierced  hands  of  Jesus  alone 
bestow.  Principalities  and  powers  shall  see  in  the  mys- 
tical body  of  Christ  more  of  God  than  in  all  the  universe 
besides.  They  wiJ  study  in  the  saints  the  eternal  pur- 
poses of  God,  and  see  therein  his  love,  his  wisdom,  his 
power,  his  justice,  his  mercy  blended  in  an  amazing 
way.  They  will  admire  for  ever  those  whom  God  loves 
and  delights  in,  those  wdiom  he  keeps  as  the  apple  of  his 
eye,  those  wdiom  he  rejoices  over,  and  of  whom  he  hath 
said  that  he  will  rest  in  his  love,  and  he  will  rejoice  over 
them  with  singing.  Truly  it  hath  not  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man  to  guess  at  the  glory  of  God  in  the  saints, 
the  exceeding  glory  of  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  ^'  This  is  David's  spoil. '^ 
Oh,  come  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord,  let  us  magnify  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  ! 

IIL  I  close  with  the  most  practical  part  of  my  ser- 
mon:  THAT  WHICH  WE  WILLINGLY  GIVE  TO  JeSUS  MAY 
BE  CALLED  HIS  SPOIL.  There  is  a  spoil  for  Christ  which 
every  true-hearted  follower  of  his  votes  to  him  enthusias- 
tically. We  have  already  seen  that  all  things  which  we 
have  are  of  Christ,  and  that  there  are  certain  special 
gifts  which  are  peculiarly  of  Christ ;  and  now,  what  shall 
be  Da^dd^s  spoil  from  you  and  from  me  ? 


102  ''DAVID'S  spoil:' 

First,  our  licarts  are  his  alone  for  ever. 

''Here's  my  heart,  Lord,  take  and  seal  it, 
Seal  it  from  thy  courts  ahoYe." 

Of  every  believing  heart  it  may  be  said,  ^^  This  is  Da- 
vid's spoil."  You  and  I  must  give  ourselves  to-morrow 
to  earning  our  daily  bread,  and  our  thoughts  must  go,  to  a 
large  extent,  after  earthly  things  in  the  common  pursuits 
of  every-day  life.  But  our  hearts,  our  hearts,  are  as 
fountains  sealed  for  our  Well-beloved.  O  mammon,  thou 
shalt  not  have  them!  O  pleasure,  thou  shalt  not  have 
them !  These  are  David's  spoil.  Our  hearts  belong  to 
Jesus  only.  '^  My  son,  give  me  thine  heart,"  is  an  Old 
Testament  command,  but  under  the  New  Testament 
manifestation  of  love  we  fulfil  it  j  ^^  for  the  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us ;  because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one  died 
for  all,  then  were  all  dead :  and  that  he  died  for  all,  that 
they  which  live  shoidd  not  henceforth  live  unto  them- 
selves, bi?t  unto  him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose 
again."  Let  it  be  so  that  our  whole  heart  is  the  sole 
possession  of  Jesus  !  We  will  neither  rend  it,  nor  cast 
lots  whose  it  shall  be,  for  ^^  this  is  David's  spoil." 

Now  there  is  another  property  I  should  like  King  Je- 
sus to  have,  and  that  is  our  special  gifts.  I  know  one, 
who,  before  his  conversion,  was  wont  to  sing,  and  he  often 
charmed  the  ears  of  men  with  the  sweet  music  which  he 
poured  forth ;  but  when  he  was  converted  he  said, 
^^  Henceforth  my  tongue  shall  sing  nothing  but  the  praises 
of  God."  He  devoted  himself  to  proclaiming  the  gospel 
by  his  song,  for  he  said,  ^^  This  is  David's  spoil."  Have 
you  not  some  gift  Qr  other,  dear  friend,  of  which  you 
could  say,  ''  Henceforth  this  shall  be  sacred  to  my  bleed- 
ing Lord "  ?     Some     pecidiar     facult}^ !     Some     choice 


''DAVID'S  spoil:'  103 

piece  of  acquirement  not  generally  possessed  %  Some- 
thing in  which  you  excel  I  I  would  that  you  had  at 
least  some  little  garden  of  flowers  or  herbs  which  you 
could  so  reserve  that  therein  only  Jesus  should  pluck  the 
fruits.  Say  of  the  best  gift  you  possess,  ^^  This  is  Da- 
vid's spoil."  Is  it  not  well  to  consecrate  some  part  of  the 
day,  and  say,"  This  hour  is  Christ's?  I  have  my  work 
to  do,  my  business  must  be  seen  to  ;  all  is  Christ's.  But 
still  I  will  reserve  a  special  season,  and  wall  it  in,  like  a 
private  garden,  in  which,  with  prayer,  and  praise,  and 
meditation,  I  will  commune  with  my  Lord ;  or  else  in 
actual  service  I  will  honor  his  name."  Say,  "  This  is 
David's  spoil."  Come,  dear  heart,  what  do  you  mean  to 
give  him  %  Surely  you  have  some  natural  faculty  or 
acquired  skill  which  you  can  lay  at  his  feet. 

Moreover,  while  our  whole  selves  must  be  yielded  to 
the  Lord  Jesus,  there  is  one  thing  that  must  always  be 
Christ's,  and  that  is  our  religious  Jiomage  as  a  church. 
Somebody  says  that  the  Queen  is  head  of  the  church. 
God  bless  her  ;  but  she  is  no  head  of  the  church  of 
Christ  !  The  idea  is  blasphemous  :  headship  "  is  Da- 
vid's spoil."  Jesus  Christ  is  Head  over  all  things  to  his 
church,  and  nobody  else  can  take  that  position.  Xo  one 
may  dare  to  take  the  title  of  ^'  head  of  the  church  " 
without  a  usurpation  of  our*  Lord's  royal  right.  Cer- 
tain teachers  of  the  church  claim  authority  over  con- 
sciences, and  assert  that  they  are  infallible.  I  have 
heard  it  said  that  they  are  supreme  guides,  but  I  do 
not  believe  it,  because  "  This  is  David's  spoil."  We 
have  one  infallible  Teacher,  and  that  is  Jesus  Christ  our 
Saviour.  We  yield  obedience  to  his  every  word,  and 
demand~that  others  should  do  the  same.  Whatsoever  he 
says  to  us  by  his  Spirit  in  the  Word  of  God  is    to   us  in- 


164  ''DAVID'S  spoil:' 

fallible  truth,  and  we  cease  to  dispute  when  Jesus  speak^s, 
but  no  man  else  shall  dictate  doctrine  to  us,  for  ^'  This  is 
David^s  spoil."  He  must  be  sole  Eabbi  in  the  midst  of 
his  church.  We  call  him  Master  and  Lord,  for  so  he  is. 
I  would  have  you  keep  your  conscience  for  Christ  alone. 
Take  care  that  no  book  ever  overlaps  the  Bible  ;  that  no 
creed  ever  contradicts  the  form  of  sound  words  contained 
In  God's  own  Word ;  that  no  influence  of  minister  or 
writer  supplants  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Your 
soul's  obedience  and  faith  belong  to  Jesus  only  :  ^^  This 
is  David's  spoil." 

Lastly,  have  you  not  something  oiijour  oivn  proper  sub- 
stance that  shall  be  David's  spoil  just  now  ?  That  was  a 
blessed  act  when  the  woman  broke  the  most  precious  thing 
she  had — her  box  of  alabaster,  and  let  the  perfumed  nard 
stream  down  the  Saviour,  anointing  him  for  his  buriaL 
She  felt  that  the  precious  perfume  was  '■^  David's  spoil." 
There  was  no  waste  ;  in  fact,  no  other  gift  ever  went  so 
completely  to  its  purpose  without  being  taxed  on  the 
road,  for  Jesus  had  it  all.  Kindly  did  he  observe  the 
loving  honor  which  she  paid  him.  What  if  the  ointment 
were  sold,  and  given  to  the  poor  ?  Yet  it  coidd  never  be 
so  economically  used  as  when  it  was  all  devoted  to  him. 
I  do  think  it  so  pleasant  sometimes  to  give  Jesus  Christ 
distinctly  a  gift  from  yourself  of  somewhat  that  you  will 
miss.  It  is  good  to  give  to  the  poor,  but  it  has  a  daintier 
sweetness  in  it  to  do  somewhat  distinctly  for  him,  for  the 
spread  of  his  own  glory,  and  the  making  known  of  his 
own  fame.  "  The  poor  ye  have  always  with  you "  : 
abound  towards  them  in  your  charity  whenever  you  will  j 
but  to  your  Lord  at  special  seasons  dedicate  a  choice  gift, 
and  say,  '^  This  is  David's  spoil."  There  was  a  poor 
woman  once,  whose  little  fortune  could  be   carried   be- 


^'DAViLvs  spoil:'  165 

tween  her  finger  and  her  thumb, — her  fortune,  I  said,  for 
it  was  all  that  she  had.  Two  mites,  I  am  told,  was  all  it 
came  to.  She  took  it,  it  was  her  all,  and  she  put  it  in 
the  treasury  ;  for  this  was  '^  David's  spoil."  It  belonged 
to  the  Lord  her  God,  and  she  gave  it  cheerfully.  I  do 
not  know  whether  since  the  days  of  the  apostles  anybody 
has  ever  given  so  much  as  that  woman.  I  have  not. 
Have  you  %  She  gave  all  her  living.  Not  all  her  sav- 
ings, but  all  her  living.  She  had  nothing  left  when  she 
gave  her  farthing  :  she  loved  so  much  that  she  conse- 
crated all  her  living.     We  sometimes  sing — 

*'  Yet  if  I  might  make  some  reserve, 
And  duty  did  not  call, 
I  love  my  God  with  zeal  so  great, 
That  I  would  give  him  all." 

But  do  we  mean  it  ?  If  not,  why  do  we  sing  falsehoods  % 
There  was  a  man  who,  in  the  providence  of  God,  had 
been  enabled  to  lay  by  many  thousands.  He  was  a  very 
rich  and  respected  man.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  he 
owned  at  least  half  a  million  ;  and  at  one  collection,  when 
he  felt  specially  grateful  and  generous,  he  found  a  well- 
worn  sixpence  for  the  plate,  for  that  was  David's  spoil ! 
That  was  David's  spoil !  Out  of  aU  tliat  he  possessed, 
that  sixpence  was  David's  spoil  !  This  was  the  measure 
of  his  gratitude  !  Judge  by  this  how  much  he  owed,  or, 
at  least,  how  much  he  desired  to  pay.  Arc  there  not 
many  persons  who,  on  that  despicable  scale,  reward  the 
Saviour  for  the  travail  of  his  soid  %  I  shall  not  upbraid 
them.  I  shall  not  urge  them  to  do  more,  lest  I  spoil  the 
voluntariness  of  the  large  gifts  tliey  mean  to  bring.  Let 
a  hint  suflBce.  For  us,  who  are  deep  in  the  Redeemer's 
debt,  who  have  had  much  forgiven,  who  every  day  are 


166  '' DAVID' ^    SPOILS 

bankrupt  debtors  to  the  measureless  mercy  of  infinite 
love — for  us,  no  paltriness  will  suffice.  We  must  give 
something  which,  if  it  be  not  worthy  of  him,  shall,  at 
least,  express  the  truth  and  warmth  of  the  gratitude  we 
feel.  Grod  help  us  to  be  often  setting  aside  this,  and  that, 
and  the  other  choice  thing,  and  saying,  ^^  This  is  David's 
spoil,  and  it  shall  be  a  joy  to  my  heart  to  give  it  !  "  We 
shall  find  much  sweetness  in  buying  our  sweet- cane  with 
money,  and  filling  our  Lord  with  the  fat  of  our  sacrifices. 
It  is  heaven  for  a  true  heart  to  give  largely  to  Jesus. 

God  bless  you,  dear  friends.  May  we  come  to  the 
table  of  communion,  and  meet  with  our  glorious  David 
there,  and  feel  his  praises  making  music  in  our  hearts  ! 
Amen. 


Vlll. 

"the  wedding  was  furnished  with  guests." 

May  6,  1888. 
"  The  wedding  was  furnished  with  guests." — Matthew  xxii.  10. 

Our  discourse  will  follow  the  lines  of  the  parable.  A 
king  desired  to  honor  his  son  right  royally.  He  loved 
his  son  well,  for  he  deserved  richly  of  him  ;  and  there- 
fore, as  the  most  fitting  time  had  come,  he  resolved  to 
honor  him.  His  son  was  about  to  take  to  himself  a 
spouse ;  should  not  his  marriage,  which  is  a  great 
event  in  life,  be  celebrated  with  honor  1  The  father 
determined  to  honor  his  son  on  the  joyful  occasion  by  in- 
viting a  large  number  of  guests  to  a  sumptuous  banquet. 
Not  by  the  infliction  of  pain,  or  the  pressure  of  taxation, 
but  by  liberality  and  festivity,  would  the  king  honor  the 
crown  prince.  It  should  be  an  extraordinary  feast. 
Surely,  it  would  be  the  simplest  thing  in  tlie  world  to 
gather  together  a  grateful  company  of  guests.  One 
would  expect  a  competition  for  admission ;  everybody 
in  the  royal  domain  would  eagerly  ask  for  an  invita- 
tion. But  it  feU  out  otherwise ;  there  was  a  disloyal 
feeling  abroad,  and  it  now  expressed  itself;  those  who 
were  bidden  would  not  come,  and  means  had  to  be  used 
to  secure  the  result  spoken  of  in  the  text,  so  that  '^  the 
wedding  was  furnished  with  guests.'^ 

The  parable  is  plain  :  the  great  Father  delights  to  honor 
Jesus,  his  Only-begotten  Son.  The  Father  loves  the  Son, 

(ICT) 


108  "  WEDDING   FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:' 

with  whom  he  is  one.  The  Son  has  deserved  well  at  the 
Father's  hands^  for  he  has  been  ^^  obedient  luito  death, 
even  the  death  of  the  cross."  It  is  the  Father's  aim  in  the 
•work  of  grace  to  glorify  his  Son,  who,  as  God  and  man  in 
one  nature,  is  the  channel  of  grace  to  fallen  men.  He  pro- 
poses to  do  this  now  that  the  Lord  Jesus  takes  his  church 
into  marriage  Tinion  with  himself.  The  incarnate  God 
calls  a  chosen  company,  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  Avife,  and  cel- 
ebrates thus  early  in  the  day  this  happy  union  by  a  wed- 
ding breakfast,  to  which  he  invites  midtitudes  to  come. 
It  is  a  feast  of  mercy,  grace,  and  peace  ;  a  marriage 
feast  of  delight  and  joy.  The  feast  is  for  the  glorifying 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  a  very  special  manner.  Can 
any  of  us  measure  the  glory  which  comes  to  our  Lord 
Jesus  by  his  union  with  the  church  ?  Angels,  and  prin- 
cipalities, and  powers,  intelligences  now  existing,  and  all 
intelligences  yet  to  be  created,  will  wonderingly  gaze 
upon  the  riches  of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints.  What  a 
spectacle  is  this  !  The  Word  made  flesh  that  he  might 
dwell  among  us  !  Immanuel,  God  with  us,  taking  unto 
himself  a  company  of  chosen  men,  to  be  one  with  liim  for 
ever.  In  the  miion  of  Christ  and  his  church  all  wisdom 
centres,  all  grace  shines  forth.  ^'  The  excellency  of  our 
God"  is  to  be  seen  in  the  salvation  of  the  elect  and  the 
joining  of  them  mito  the  Christ.  Our  glorious  Second 
Adam  v/as  like  the  first  Adam  in  the  garden,  for  whom 
no  helpmeet  was  found.  Neither  cherubim  nor  seraphim, 
angels  nor  spirits,  could  be  fit  companions  for  him.  He 
says,  '^  ]\[y  delights  were  with  the  sons  of  men.'^  He 
willed  that  his  chosen  church  shoidd  stand  to  him  in  the 
same  relation  as  Eve  stood  to  Adam,  to  be  the  solace  of 
his  heart  aud  the  rest  of  his  love.  He  chose  men  to  be 
his  companions,  his  friends,  his  joy,  his  crown. 


"  IVEDDINJ  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:'  IC/j 

One  would  have  tlioiiglit  tliat  every  man  liearin"-  tliat 
manhood  was  thus  to  be  honored  by  union  with  Godhead 
would  flock  towards  the  marriage-i'east.  It  would  have 
seemed  certain  that  all  would  desire  to  knovv^  this  heav- 
enly mystery,  and  as  soon  as  they  knew  it  would  press 
forward  to  be  partakers  in  its  bliss.  Alas  !  this  is  not 
the  case ;  and  this  morning  my  business  is  to  tell  you 
the  story  of  how  the  purpose  of  divine  love  appeared  in 
peril,  but  how,  in  the  end,  it  is  accomplished;  and, 
according  to  the  language  of  the  text,  "  the  Avedding  was 
furnished  with  guests.'^ 

I.  Our  first  point  is,  that  IT  seemed  as  if  none 
WOULD  COME.  The  wedding-feast  was  prepared  :  oxen 
and  fatlings  were  killed,  all  things  were  ready  ;  but 
where  were  the  guests  % 

Tliose  first  invited^  and  7iaturcdhj  expected,  would  not 
come.  Previous  notice  had  been  given  them  of  the  festi- 
val, and  afterwards  a  summons  had  been  sent  to  say  that 
the  hour  was  come  ;  but  instead  of  joyfidly  responding, 
they  would  not  come. 

These  were,  first  of  all,  the  Jews,  to  whom  the  gospel 
had  been  given  by  the  law  and  the  prophets  long  before- 
hand. ^^  He  came  unto  his  oaati,  but  his  own  received 
him  not."  Israel  was  not  gathered :  few  out  of  the 
chosen  nation  recognized  the  Messiah.  He  came  with  a 
feast  of  mercy  for  them,  but  they  would  have  none  of  it. 
He  called  and  they  refused. 

To-day  this  same  class  will  be  found  among  the  chil- 
dren of  godly  parents  ;  dedicated  from  their  birth,  prayed 
for  by  loving  piety,  listening  to  the  gospel  from  their 
childhood,  and  yet  unsaved.  We  look  for  these  to  come 
to  Jesus.  We  naturally  hope  that  they  will  feast  upon 
the  provisions  of  grace,  and  like  their  parents  will  rejoice 


170  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^ 

in  Christ  Jesus  ;  but,  alas  !  how  often  it  is  the  case  they 
will  not  come  !  Some  such  are  here  this  morning.  We 
greatly  grieve  over  you.  You  do  not  choose  your 
father's  God,  nor  accept  your  mother's  Saviour.  Ah  me  ! 
if  ?/o  if  will  not  come,  who  will?  If  you,  who  are  taught 
concerning  salvation  by  grace,  yet  refuse  it,  how  can  we 
wonder  that  the  children  of  the  godless  and  the  profane 
reject  our  message  %     Who  will  come  if  you  will  not  % 

Dear  hearers,  some  of  you  are  not  privileged  with 
godly  parents,  but  you  have  been  for  many  years  willing 
listeners  to  the  Word  of  life,  and  yet  you  do  not  accept 
Christ  Jesus  as  yours,  nor  accept  the  provisions  of  his 
grace.  You  do  not  joy  with  him  in  his  union  with  his 
chosen,  for  you  do  not  love  him.  How  sad  is  this ! 
Well  may  the  dispirited  preacher  mourn,  and  fear  in  his 
heart  that  the  great  festival  of  love  will  prove  a  failure  ! 
If  such  as  you  are  wiU  not  come,  how  will  the  wedding 
be  furnished  with  guests  ! 

The  outlook  grew  worse  still  when  tlieij  came  not,  though 
they  were  reasoned  tvith.  When  they  would  not  come, 
the  king  sent  other  servants  to  bring  them  to  a  better 
mind  ,•  and  this  was  the  form  of  his  reasoning  :  '^  Behold, 
I  have  prepared  my  dinner,  my  oxen  and  my  fatlings  are 
kiUed,  and  all  things  are  ready  :  come  unto  the  mar- 
riage." No  kinder  argument  could  have  been  used : 
there  was  an  appeal  to  all  that  was  noble  in  them,  and 
had  they  been  worthy  they  would  have  come  at  once,  I 
can  well  understand  that  the  servants  would  repeat  their 
lord's  message  with  special  eagerness,  as  they  thought  of 
his  waiting  in  the  palace,  and  watching  for  the  guests. 
They  would  cry  to  those  who  hesitated,  ^^You  have 
waited  long  enough,  come  at  once.  The  m.arriage  cannot 
be  delayed,  why  should  you  delay  ?     Tarry  no  longer. 


«  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^  171 

To-daj  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice  harden  not  your  hearts." 
Still  they  made  light  of  it.  When  you  have  been  invited 
to  Jesus  many  a  time ;  when  tearful  earnestness  has 
pleaded  with  you,  and  yet  men  of  God  have  had  to  return 
to  their  Master,  saying  "Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?" 
it  becomes  a  sorrowfid  business,  and  our  anxious  fears 
cannot  see  how  the  wedding  will  be  furnished  with  guests. 
This  would  have  been  an  overwhelming  surprise  to  us  if 
Jesus  had  not  declared  of  men  in  his  own  day,  "  Ye  will 
not  come  unto  me  that  ye  might  have  life."  If  they  re- 
fused his  pleadings  we  cannot  wonder  that  they  reject  our 
sayings.  Still  it  is  a  mournful  fact,  that  "Many  are 
called,  but  few  chosen." 

The  case  looks  darker  still  when  we  notice  that,  tliougli 
reasoned  ivitli  hy  new  messengers^  they  did  not  come.  It  is 
said,  "  He  sent  forth  other  servants."  T  tell  you  from  my 
very  soul  that,  if  my  Lord  will  only  bring  you  to  the  ban- 
quet of  his  grace,  I  mind  not  who  shall  be  the  successful 
messenger.  If  you  will  not  believe  •  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  unto  eternal  life  through  what  I  have  to  say, 
may  the  Lord  remove  me,  and  send  some  one  else,  to 
whom  he  will  give  power  by  his  grace  to  reach  your 
hearts.  I  shall  be  glad  to  remain  in  this  pulpit  for  years 
to  come,  but  not  at  the  cost  of  a  single  soid.  If  some- 
body else  can  preach  to  you  more  efficiently,  if  some  one 
else  can  get  at  your  hearts  better  than  I  have  done,  may 
the  Lord  allow  me  to  retire  for  your  good  !  Do  you 
v/ish  it  ?  "  He  sent  other  servants."  A  preacher  may 
be  too  rhetorical :  let  a  plain-speaking  person  be  tried. 
He  may  be  too  weighty  :  let  another  come  with  parable 
and  anecdote.  Alas  !  with  some  of  you  the  thing  wanted 
is  not  a  new  voice,  but  a  new  heart.  You  woidd  listen 
no  better  to  a  new  messenger  than  to  the  old  one.     After 


172  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:' 

SO  many  good  men  and  true  have  spoken  j  after  Paul^ 
and  Apollos,  and  Cephas  have  all  failed;  how  shall  the 
wedding  be  furnished  wdth  guests  % 

If  you  look  at  Vm  various  characters  ivlw  ivould  not 
comCj  you  will  see  more  and  more  cause  for  sorrow.  Of 
some  we  simply  read  that  '^  theij  ivoidd  not  conic. ''^  They 
made  no  excuses  or  apologies,  but  curtly  said  they 
would  not  come.  There  was  an  end  of  the  matter. 
Many  dismiss  the  gospel  at  once  ;  they  are  not  to  be  rea- 
soned with :  they  do  not  want  it,  and  will  not  have  it. 
a  large  class  of  the  community  have  heard  of  the  way  of 
salvation,  but  they  care  nothing  for  it.  It  is  not  with 
them  want  of  information,  but  want  of  inclination.  They 
have  neither  mind  nor  will  for  heavenly  things. 

A  second  class  made  light  of  it.  They  were  indifferent 
to  royal  honors  and  duties.  They  were  taken  np  with 
the  care  of  what  they  had  in  possession,  and  went  their 
way,  each  man  to  his  farm,  saying,  ^'  I  have  worked 
hard  to  get  my  farm,  and  I  cannot  afford  to  let  it  lie  idle.'^ 
Another  was  taken  up  with  the  care  of  getting  an  estate, 
and  went  to  his  merchandise,  saying,  ^^  I  have  nobody 
to  keep  my  shop.  I  must  mind  the  main  chance.  If  you 
do  not  look  alive,  everybody  will  run  over  you.  I  must 
attend  to  my  buying  and  my  selling.'^  The  worldly-wise 
make  up  a  very  numerous  class.  The  rich  man  cannot 
be  religious,  his  position  in  society  prevents  5  the  poor 
man  cannot  mind  the  things  of  God,  he  is  worn  out  by 
earning  his  daily  bread.  Thus  they  all  make  excuse. 
Lord,  when  so  many  are  unwilling,  and  so  many  more 
are  occupied  with  other  things,  how  shall  the  wedding 
be  furnished  with  guests  ? 

A  third  class  ivere  violently  opposed :  they  would  not 
be  bothered,  they  had  no  patience  with  religious  cant ; 


«'  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH   GUESTS:'  173 

tliey  '^  took  his  servants,  and  entreated  tliem  spitefully, 
and  slew  tliem.'^  These  are  not  so  numerous  as  the 
others ;  but  yet  they  are  found  among  us.  Sceptics, 
swearers,  revilers  of  godliness,  and  "  modern  thought  '^ 
men  :  these  revile  the  cross,  and  are  ferocious  against 
the  gospel.  When  avc  see  these  raging  and  raving,  Ave 
are  apt  to  ask  very  mournfully — How  can  the  wedding- 
be  furnished  with  guests  % 

The  most  dreadfid  thought  of  all  remains  :  some  of  the 
invited  had  already  ])crished.  The  king  in  his  wrath 
sent  his  troops  and  slew  the  murderers  of  his  messengers, 
and  burned  their  city.  While  I  have  been  preaching, 
many  of  my  hearers  have  died.  Where  are  tliey  now  ? 
If  they  died  without  Christ  they  are  now  past  hope.  Ah 
me  !  they  can  never  enter  now,  for  the  door  is  shut.  If 
they  died  in  their  sins,  they  are  in  the  outer  darkness, 
where  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  When 
you  think  of  it,  this  is  a  dark  prospect.  Men  are  dying, 
dying  without  hope  ;  and  those  who  are  yet  alive  are 
resolved  to  perish  in  like  manner,  for  they  are  earnestly 
invited  to  the  feast  of  love,  but  they  refuse  to  come. 
How  can  the  wedding  be  furnished  with  guests  ? 

The  king  tells  us  the  real  reason  why  they  would  not 
come :  theij  tvere  not  tvorthy.  Those  who  were  invited 
specially,  and  about  whom  there  was  the  greatest  hope, 
had  nothing  in  them  to  encourage  that  hope  :  they  were 
not  loyal,  they  were  not  kind-hearted,  they  were  not 
honest,  they  were  not  worthy,  else  they  woidd  have 
come  to  do  honor  to  the  son  of  their  king.  Their  not 
coming  revealed  the  enmity  of  their  hearts.  It  was  a 
wretched  way  of  showing  their  spite  to  the  prince  upon 
his  wedding-day.  It  is  horrible  that  men  refuse  Christ 
and  heaven  out  of  enmity  to  God.     Rejectors  of  Christ 


174         "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:' 

are  unworthy  of  pardoning  grace,  unworthy  of  a  dy- 
ing Saviour,  unworthy  of  those  marriage  bonds  into 
which  Jesus  enters  with  believing  hearts.  They  are  not 
worthy  in  the  gospel  sense  of  worthiness,  and  of  course 
they  were  far  less  worthy  in  a  legal  sense. 

The  most  mournfid  spectacle  in  the  world  is  a  heart 
which  refuses  the  mercy  of  God.  Objection  is  sometimes 
made  to  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity.  I  do  not  know 
what  adjective  can  be  too  strong  to  describe  human  de- 
pravity when  I  perceive  that  it  refuses  Grod  under  his 
loveliest  aspect :  Grod  in  the  greatness  of  his  love,  God 
sparing  not  his  own  Son.  If  men  turn  away  from  God 
in  anger  I  can  understand  it  ;  if  men  turn  aside  from 
God  in  justice  I  can  understand  it  ;  but  when  they  so 
hate  God  that  they  will  not  even  have  his  salvation,  when 
they  refuse  pardon  through  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 
when  they  will  sooner  be  damned  than  reconciled  to 
God,  this  shows  that  their  heart  is  desperately  wicked. 
The  cross  rejected  is  the  clearest  proof  of  the  heart  de- 
praved. There  I  leave  this  mournful  subject,  and  go  a 
step  further.  Certainly  it  did  seem  as  if  the  wedding 
would  not  be  furnished  with  guests. 

II.  Secondly,  it  was  a  mournful  prospect.  Im- 
agine that  there  had  been  no  guests  at  the  wedding 
feast :  what  then? 

First,  it  ivould  liave  been  greatly  to  the  hinges  clislionor. 
The  crown  prince  is  married,  and  nobody  comes  to  the 
wedding  !  The  feast  is  free,  costly,  plentiful,  but  nobody 
will  come  to  it.  What  an  insult  ?  The  bcinqueting-hall 
is  lighted,  and  the  minstrels  are  in  their  place,  but  no 
eyes  or  ears  are  channed.  Oxen  and  fatlings  make  the 
tables  groan,  but  none  are  there  to  make  the  hall  resoimd 
with    shout    and    song.     AVhat    a    wretched    spectacle ! 


,JVEDDIXG  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:'  I75 

Empty  halls,  unfurnished  benches,  meat  untasted  carried 
out  to  the  dogs !  History  does  not  record  a  more  delib- 
erate and  unmistakable  insult.  Let  me  translate  the  par- 
able. If  no  souls  are  saved,  if  the  great  plan  of  redemp- 
tion does  not  save,  what  a  farce  the  whole  business  will 
be  !  What  a  dishonor  to  the  name  of  the  great  God  ! 
Look  at  the  supposition,  that  you  may  see  the  impossi- 
bility of  it.  Think  for  an  instant  of  a  defeated,  disap- 
pointed, dishonored  Jehovah  !  Can  it  be  %  And  yet,  if 
the  wedding  had  not  been  furnished  with  guests,  the  king 
would  have  been  disappointed  and  insulted  in  the  ten- 
derest  point.  If  the  chosen  are  not  saved,  if  men  are 
not  brouglit  to  Christ,  then  the  glorious  name  of  the  God 
of  grace  is  dishonored.     Do  you  think  it  can  be  so  f 

In  the  next  place,  suppose  none  had  come  to  the  wed- 
ding feast ;  then  the  hingh  son  tvould  have  been  grieved. 
His  wedding,   and  nobody  there  !     If  it  were  your  own, 
perhaps  you  could  put  up  with  it  5  for  you  do  not  stand  in 
so  public  a  position  as  the   king^s  son,  and  you  have  not 
provided  so  vast  a  banquet.     But  the  king's  son  !     Only 
imagine   that  it  is  his  wedding-day,  and  the  servants  are 
mustered  in  the  hall,  but  not  a  single  guest  arrives.     He 
has  no  one  to   congratulate  him  upon  the  happy  day,  no 
one  to  wish  him  well,  no  one  to  welcome  the  bride.     Now, 
the  same  is  true  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  if  he  dies,  and 
men   do   not  believe  in  him  5  if  he  rises  again,  and  men 
do  not  accept  him  ;  if  he  enters  heaven  as  a  prince  and  a 
Saviour,  and  yet  no  one  receives  repentance  and  remis- 
sion, where  is  his  honor  ?    Where  is  his  glory  ?    Look  at 
the  dreadful  supposition,  and  think  whether  it  can  be.     I 
am  sure,  as  you  gaze  upon  it,  you  will  say,  ^^  Impossible! 
A   bleeding   Saviour   cannot   die    in   vain.     Our    Christ 
oould  not  in  death  have  paid  dov/n  the   ransom  price  for 


176  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^ 

nothing.     He  could  not  have  stood  a  substitute  for  men, 
and  yet  see  men  lost  after  all !  '^ 

If  no  guests  had  arrived,  lioiv  disappointed  ivould  the 
hride  have  been  !  She,  too,  would  have  had  to  share  in 
the  failure  of  the  day.  Her  bridal  woidd  not  have  been 
remembered  with  pleasure.  She  would  have  been  happy 
in  the  bridegroom,  but  also  unhappy  because  of  the  un- 
kindness  sho^vn  to  him.  In  vain  her  rich  apparel,  and 
her  costly  ornaments,  for  there  are  no  eyes  to  gaze  upon 
them.  If  souls  are  not  saved  the  church  misses  her 
greatest  joy.  When  men  believe  in  Jesus,  how  de- 
lighted we  are  !  Our  hearts  leap  for  joy  when  men  re- 
pent. But  if  sinners  are  not  saved,  if  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  is  in  vain,  if  they  will  not  come  to  Christ,  then 
are  saints  fidl  of  heaviness,  and  the  church  cries  out  in 
her  anguish,  "Hast  thou  forgotten  to  be  gracious  f 

Had  none  come  to  the  marriage  feast,  a  store  of  provi- 
sions ivould  have  been  ivasted.  The  king  says,  "  My 
oxen  and  my  failings  are  killed."  See  the  bullocks 
roasting  whole !  See  yonder  fatted  calf  killed  for  the 
feast !  Mark  how  the  sheep  are  led  to  the  slaughter  ! 
All  this  will  remain  untasted.  Yonder  dainty  dishes,  and 
flowing  bowls,  and  luscious  fruits  will  have  none  to  enjoy 
them.  It  will  be  a  wretched  business  indeed!  I  want 
you  to  look  at  the  dreadful  picture  till  it  vanishes  out  of 
sight.  Can  it  be  that  Jesus  has  made  himself  the  heaven- 
ly bread,  and  none  Avill  feed  on  him,  or  at  the  best  a  very 
few  ?  Can  it  be  that  he  has  provided  a  robe  of  right- 
eousness, and  nobody  will  wear  it  f  Is  heaven  prepared, 
and  will  it  remain  half  occupied  *?  I  do  but  suppose  it 
for  the  moment,  to  make  you  see  what  a  melancholy  fact 
a  failure  in  the  scheme  of  mercy  would  be. 

Would  it  not  have  meant,  also,  the  enemy's  triumph  f 


««  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH   GUESTS^  177 

The  king's  foes  would  have  heard  of  it,  and  Laughed  hi:n 
to  scorn.  At  a  royal  wedding  he  could  not  command 
guests  !  How  they  would  scoff  !lt  his  wasted  provision  ! 
^^  Ha,  ha  !  Ha,  ha  !^'  The  story  would  have  been  told 
on  every  ale-bench.  The  sons  of  Belial  would  make  rare 
mirth  of  it.  The  king,  the  prince,  the  bride  would  all 
have  been  ridiculed,  because  of  a  wedding  in  empty  halls, 
a  feast  with  phantom  guests  !  I  do  not  believe  that  God 
intends  to  let  Satan  triumph  in  this  way.  I  cannot  im- 
agine that  he  will  allow  the  powers  of  darkness  thus  to 
open  their  wicked  mouths  against  him.  If  free-will  refuses 
the  gift  of  God,  free-grace  will  come  in  and  win  the  day. 
1  have  shown  you  already  how  free-will  threatens  to  empty 
the  banqueting-hall,  and  dishonor- the  king,  the  son,  and 
the  bride ;  and  if  the  business  had  been  left  to  the  free 
will  of  man,  this  is  the  result  which  would  have  come  of 
it :  a  God  dishonored,  and  men  preferring  to  die  rather 
than  accept  life  through  Jesus  Christ.  Then  it  could 
never  have  been  said  that  ''  tlie  wedding  was  furnished 
with  guests." 

ni.  Let  us  go  a  step  further  and  notice  that  in  the 
parable  Tins  catastrophe  was  graciously  prevented. 
'-''  The  wedding  was  furnished  Avith  guests." 

We  are  very  much  in  the  same  case  to-day  as  the  ser- 
vants were  in  when  the  invited  ones  would  not  come.  We 
preach  and  teach  the  gospel,  but  we  have  to  complain 
that  so  many  will  not  come  to  the  banquet  of  grace.  God 
gives  us  many  soiJs,  but  not  so  many  as  we  desire.  We 
are  eager  for  many  more,  and  we  begin  to  be  afraid  lest, 
after  all;  God  should  not  be  glorified  as  we  wish  that  he 
should  be.  In  the  parable  an  unfurnished  banquet  was 
prevented,  and  so  it  will  be  in  the  reality.  How  was 
the  calamity  averted  ? 


178  "  JVEDDIXG  FURXISIIED    WITH  GUESTS.'' 

It  was  preventecf,  first^  by  a  fuller  invitation.  At  first 
the  heralds  only  called  those  who  had  been  previously 
bidden,  a  sort  of  aristocracy  of  hopeful  persons.  As 
these  would  not  come,  we  read,  ^^  Go  ye  therefore  into 
the  highways,  and  as  many  as  ye  shall  find,  bid  to  the 
marriage."  They  went  out,  not  to  a  select  band,  but  to 
all  whom  they  might  find.  Brethren,  it  is  a  grand  thing 
when  we  get  a  clearer  idea  of  what  the  gospel  really  is. 
The  more  evangelical  our  notions  become,  so  that  we  are 
prepared  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  under 
heaven  and  to  say,  ''  He  that  belie veth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved,"  the  more  we  may  hope  for  large  success. 
If,  by  my  preaching,  I  lead  a  man  to  look  at  himself,  to 
see  if  there  is  anything  in  him  which  entitles  him  to 
believe,  I  practically  hide  the  gospel  from  him.  If  I 
preach  up  character  unduly,  so  that  the  man  mainly 
inquires  whether  he  has  that  character,  I  fix  his  eye 
upon  himself;  and  this  is  not  what  I  should  aim  at.  If 
I  go  forth  and  gather  together  as  many  as  I  find,  both 
good  and  bad,  then  their  thoughts  are  on  the  banquet 
rather  than  on  themselves.  We  want  men  to  look  to 
Jesus,  and  therefore  we  cry,  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely."  When  we  get  upon  clear 
gospel  lines,  and  keep  there,  we  may  expect  to  see  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  revealed,  and  the  wedding  furnished 
with  guests. 

Again,  the  invitation  teas  now  given  more  piiblicly. 
They  had  simply  gone  to  the  houses  of  the  invited 
guests,  and  said,  ^^  All  things  are  ready  :  come."  But 
now  the  servants  go  to  the  chief  places  of  concourse  ;  and 
they  cry  aloud,  and  spare  not  among  the  crowds  of  men. 
One  has  gone  to  the  market-cross  ;  another  is  preaching 
where  four  ways  meet.     Hark  to  the  voice  of  one  upon 


"  WEDDINJ  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^  179 

the  village   green,   and    to  the    song  of  others   as  they 

traverse  the  back   shun  !     You  cannot  now  go   along  a 

street  without  hearing   the   news   of  the  great   wedding 

feast.     Many  will  be  brought  in  when   many   are  eager 

to   bring   them  in.     God  is  pleased  to   own  the   means 

which  he  has  himself  ordained.     The  more   constant  and 

public  the  proclamation  of  the   gospel  becomes,  the  more 

numerously  will  men  be  saved  through  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Then  is  the  set  time  to   favor  Zion  come.     We  arc  not 

to  hide  our   lamp   under  a  bushel.     He   that  knows  the 

gospel  shouk^  speak  it   out  as  plainly  as  he  can,   and  let 

his  voice  be  as  the  silver  trumpets  of  jubilee,  that  every 

ear  may  hear.     It  came  to  pass  that  the  king's  message 

was  more  widely  made  kno^vn,  and  thus  the  wedding  was 

furnished  with  guests." 

Another  matter  assisted  :  the  servants  ivere  now  tlior- 
ouglihj  aroused,  I  am  sure  I  should  have  felt  dreadfully 
agitated  to  see  all  those  provisions  and  none  coming  to 
eat  them.  Think  of  the  halls  decorated,  the  cooks  work- 
ing day  and  night,  the  big  fires  burning,  bidlocks  roast- 
ing, the  wines  on  the  lees  set  abroach,  and  yet  no  guests. 
It  would  have  worried  me  greatly,  and  you  too.  You 
would  have  said,  ^^  It  cannot  be,  it  must  not  be,  we  can- 
not bear  it.  The  king,  how  sadly  he  must  feel !  The 
good  prince,  how  bitter  it  is  for  him  !  The  dear  bride, 
what  must  be  her  sadness  when  this  great  insult  is  put 
upon  her  !  Here,  I  must  fetch  in  some  guests,  or  die 
in  the  attempt."  I  am  sure  we  should  have  travelled  six 
ways  at  once  if  we  could  ;  we  should  have  invited  with  a 
thousand  mouths  if  possible.  Getting  hold  of  one  man's 
coat,  and  of  another  man's  sleeve,  we  should  have  com- 
pelled them  to  come  in.  This,  also,  is  the  Lord's  way 
of  blessing    men.     He    arouses   his   own   people,   makes 


180  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH   GUESTS:' 

them  sorrowful  for  the  sins  of  the  times,  and  then  thej 
grow  earnest  and  troubled,  and  so  they  lay  themselves 
out  to  snatch  men  as  brands  from  the  bm^ning.  "  As 
soon  as  Zion  travailed,  she  brought  forth  her  children." 
The  want  of  travailing  causes  the  absence  of  conversion. 
When  we  begin  to  sigh,  and  cry,  and  mourn,  because 
the  ways  of  God  are  forsaken,  then  our  earnestness 
moves  the  heart,  both  of  God  and  man,  and  the  guests 
come  to  the  wedding. 

Again,  the  calamity  of  a  wedding  without  guests  was 
prevented  by  a  certain  secret  'power  ivliicli  tvent  ivitli  the 
msssengers.  We  read  that  they  ^^  gathered  together  all 
as  many  as  they  found,  both  bad  and  good."  They  did 
not  merely  invite  them,  but  they  gathered  them  in. 
Now,  people  are  not  to  be  gathered  in  in  great  numbers  all 
of  a  sudden,  and  led  to  a  feast  by  mere  words.  Words 
are  but  air.  There  is  nothing  in  our  words  to  make  men 
come  to  Jesus,  unless  the  Lord  works  by  them.  Yet  the 
guests  did  come  in  shoals.  An  influence  went  with  the 
words  of  those  servants  which  drew  the  people  together  ; 
they  could  not  wish  to  stay  away  ;  they  came  gladly. 
Their  wills  were  sweetly  inclined,  and  they  thronged 
the  palace.  Beloved,  all  the  hope  of  our  ministry  lies 
in  the  Spirit  of  God  operating  upon  the  spirits  of  men. 
I  Avant  all  the  members  of  this  church  to  feel  this  more 
deeply  and  practically  than  ever.  Do  not  put  trust  in 
the  preacher  :  if  he  happens  to  be  away,  do  not  think 
that  God  is  tied  to  him.  Look  for  a  blessing  upon  the 
gospel  itself  whoever  preaches  it.  If  the  Holy  Ghost  be 
with  us  we  shall  see  thousands  flocking  to  Jesus.  No 
sinner  will  ever  come  to  Christ  apart  from  the  quicken- 
ing, enlightening,  drawing,  converting  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  supernaturally  exercised  upon  the  conscience  and 


'^Wf DOING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^  181 

heart.  Let  us  believe  this  ;  and,  ncxtj  let  us  be  assured 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  with  us,  and  let  us  then  go  forth 
with  all  boldness.  To  the  street-corner,  the  cottage,  the 
lodging-house,  the  wayside,  let  us  go  forth  and  publish 
abroad  the  invitation  of  the  great  King :  "  My  oxen  and 
my  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all  things  are  ready  :  come 
unto  the  marriage. '' 

Thus  you  have  seen  the  outward  means  by  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  brings  men  to  Jesus,  and  the  wedding  is  fur- 
nished with  guests. 

IV.     I  close  by  noticing,  in   the   fourth  place,  that  ix 

THE    END    THE    FEAST   WAS   A    GLORIOUS  SUCCESS.       "  The 

wedding  was  furnished  with  guests."  Guests  are  a  part 
of  the  furniture  of  a  wedding  feast.  You  may  pile  on 
your  gold  and  silver  plate,  hang  up  your  banners,  load 
your  tables,  and  sound  your  music  ;  but  if  you  have  no 
guests  the  feast  is  a  failure.  It  is  our  solemn  conviction 
that  the  Lord  our  God  has  never  failed  yet,  and  that  he 
never  will  fail.  We  believe  that  the  Lord's  eternal  pur- 
pose will  stand,  and  that  he  will  do  all  his  pleasure.  We 
believe  in  no  blind  fate,  but  we  trust  in  a  predestination 
which  is  full  of  eyes,  which  accomplishes  its  purpose  to 
the  least  jot  and  tittle.  God's  greatest  work  is  redemp- 
tion; will  he  fail  in  it  ?  Salvation  is  the  focus  of  his 
glory  ;  shall  this  be  frustrated  %  If  God  were  to  fail  in 
connection  with  the  cross,  it  would  be  a  failure  indeed ; 
God  would  be  dishonored,  and  his  crown  jewels  cast  into 
the  mire.     But  it  shall  not  be. 

Turn  to  the  parable,  and  we  find  there  tvere  sufficient 
guests :  ''  the  wedding  was  furnished  with  guests.'^ 
There  were  as  many  guests  as  were  necessary  to  the 
honor  of  the  king,  and  his  son,  and  his  bride.  Oh  yes, 
in  the  gathering  up  and  consummation  of  all  things,  the 


182         "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:' 

wedding  of  the  Lord  Jesus  will  be  amply  furnished  with 
guests  :  "  He  shall,  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall 
be  satisfied."  There  will  be  no  disappointment  to  Christ 
at  the  last  great  day.  Satan  may  whisper  disaster  and 
disappoinliment  to  us  at  this  hour,  and  for  the  moment  it 
may  seem  as  if  the  forces  of  darkness  triumphed  ;  but 
the  end  is  not  yet.  The  will  of  God,  so  full  of  grace  and 
mercy,  shall  be  accomplished,  the  preparations  of  grace 
shall  be  used,  and  the  purpose  of  love  fulfilled.  As  the 
wedding  was  furnished  with  guests  so  shall  heaven  be 
filled  with  '^  a  number  which  no  man  can  number." 

The  feast  was  more  of  a  success  than  it  would  have 
been  had  there   been  no   opposition.     The  persons  ivlio 
came  to  the  ivcdding  tvere  more  grateful  than  the  first  in- 
vited might  have   been  if  they  had  come.     The  richer 
sort  had  a  good  dinner  every  day.     Those  farmers  could 
always   kill  a   fat   sheep  ;  and  those    merchants     could 
always  buy   a   calf      ^^  Thank   you  for   nothing,"   they 
would  have  said  to  the  king  if  they  had  accepted  his  in- 
vitation.    But  these  poor  beggars  picked  off  the  streets, 
they  had  not  tasted  meat  for  months.     Their  half-starved 
bodies  welcomed  the   fatlings.     How    glad  they    were ! 
One  of  them  said  to  the   other,   ^'  It's  a  long  time   since 
you  and  I  sat  down  to  such  a  joint  as  this,"  and  the  other 
answered,  "  I  can  hardly  believe   that  I  am  really  in  a 
palace  dining  with  a  king.     Why,  yesterday   I  begged 
all  the  day,  and  only  had  twopence   at  night.     Long  live 
the   king,   say   I,    and  blessings    on  the   prince  and  his 
bride  ! "   I  warrant,  they  were  thankful  for  such  a  feast. 
They  said  it  was  an  ill  wind  that  blew  nobody  any  good : 
because  their  betters  had  refused  to  come,  there  was  now 
room  for  them.     When   the   Lord  saves   great   sinners, 
such  as  you  and   me,   he  wins  warm  hearts  for  himself. 


^^WEDDIXG  FURNISHED    WITH  CUKSTSr  1S,3 

When  tlie  Lord  saves  unlikely  ones,  he  gets  unusual 
thankfulness.  When  he  brings  in  the  drunkard  and 
the  profane,  the  unclean  and  the  hardened,  and  makes 
them  pure  and  holy,  and  puts  them  among  the  children, 
what  gratitude  he  gets  !  The  Pharisee  may  ask  Christ 
to  a  cold  dinner,  but  it  is  the  woman  that  was  a  sinner 
who  will  wash  his  feet  with  tears,  and  wipe  them  with 
the  hairs  of  her  head.  If  some  of  you  moralists  get 
saved — and  God  grant  you  may  ! — you  will  never  prize 
the  precious  blood  so  much  as  those  do  who  are  washed 
by  it  from  the  foulest  stains. 

The  joy  that  day  ivas  much  more  expressed  than  it  would 
have  been  had  others  come.  Those  ladies  and  gentle- 
men who  were  first  invited,  if  they  had  come  to  the  wed- 
ding, would  have  seated  themselves  there  in  a  very  stiff 
and  proper  manner.  Dear  me,  what  a  fine  thing  pro- 
priety is !  And  yet,  what  a  dead  thing  it  is  !  One  said 
to  me  the  other  day,  "  I  have  gone  to  my  place  of  wor- 
ship for  many  years,  and  nobody  ever  did  speak  to  me 
that  I  know  of,  and  nobody  ever  will ;  for  we  are  all  too 
respectable  to  know  one  another."  You  know  the  digni- 
fied style  of  self-satisfied  people.  Among  such  there  is 
no  cordiality,  no  freshness,  no  sweet  naturalness.  Did 
you  ever  attend  a  breakfast  or  a  dinner  of  beggars ! 
Did  you  ever  see  a  company  of  very  hungry  people  feed- 
ing to  their  hearths  content  ?  They  make  a  merry  clat- 
ter ;  they  are  not  muzzled  by  propriety  ;  they  are  glad 
at  the  sight  of  every  dish.  They  look  at  the  waiters  as 
angels  ;  and  when  the  hurrahing  comes  to  be  done,  you 
admire  the  strength  of  their  limgs.  The  didl  monotony 
of  respectability  knows  no  joy  like  that  which  comes  to 
poverty  when  it  feasts  to  the  fiUl  at  the  table  of  bounty. 
The  crown  prince  was  happier  that  day  among  his  poor 


184  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH   GUESTS.'' 

subjects  than  he  would  have  been  among  the  grandees 
and  the  fashionables.  Those  paupers^  those  laborers, 
those  tramps,  those  hedge-birds,  those  were  the  fellows 
to  make  merry.  To  whom  much  is  forgiven,  the  same 
loveth  much.  Up  in  heaven  they  sing  like  the  voice  of 
many  waters  and  like  great  thunder,  because  they  have 
been  cleansed  from  many  sins  and  have  partaken  of 
great  grace.  Let  the  Pharisee  and  the  moralist  refuse 
the  gospel ;  there  are  those  about  who,  in  accepting  it, 
will  do  it  greater  honor  than  their  dull  souls  coidd  ever 
render  to  it.  Thus  the  wedding  was  furnished  with 
guests,  who  expressed  their  joy  enthusiastically. 

Hoiv  the  provisions  ivere  relished!  It  does  one  good  to 
see  a  hungry  man  eat  his  food.  To  him  every  bitter 
thing  is  sweet.  He  does  not  turn  over  his  food  and 
cut  off  every  little  bit  of  gristle,  as  some  of  you  do  be- 
cause of  your  delicate  appetites.  The  true  gospel  hearer 
hearkens  to  the  text— ^^  Eat  ye  that  which  is  good,  and  let 
your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness."  He  does  not  act  the 
critic,  and  cavil  at  this  expression  and  that.  He  is  too 
sharp-set  to  be  particular  about  the  dishes  and  the  carv- 
ing. We  marvel  sometimes  at  the  capacity  of  himgry 
men  ;  there  is  no  end  to  it  ;  and  it  is  the  same  with 
spiritual  as  with  natural  hunger.  I  think  I  can  tell  what 
happened  at  that  wedding  :  the  bride  nudged  the  bride- 
groom and  said,  "  See  these  poor  people  eat  !  Is  it  not  a 
pleasure  to  give  one's  oxen  and  fatlings  where  they  are 
so  much  needed  ?  "  The  bridegroom  was  as  happy  as 
he  could  be,  for  he  was  of  a  sympathizing  heart,  and  he 
greatly  rejoiced  in  the  joy  of  the  poor  people  around 
him.  The  king  himself  that  day  was  gladdened  as  he 
saw  what  a  gallant  companyof  trenchermen  they  were,  and 
how  there  was  no  niggling,  nor  finding  fault,  but  only  un- 


"  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS^  185 

broken  enjoyment  and  gratitude.  The  choicest  kind  of 
guests  had  been  collected,  if  the  object  was  to  give  joy. 
Ah  dear  friends !  if  you  have  a  deep  sense  of  sin,  you 
will  greatly  love  free  grace  and  dying  love.  This  is  the 
lack  of  certain  gentlemen  who  are  always  finding  fault 
with  the  gospel :  they  never  knew  their  own  state  by 
nature  and  by  practice,  and  therefore  they  do  not  prize 
salvation.  If  they  had  felt  a  few  lashes  of  the  ten- 
thonged  whip  of  the  law  upon  their  bare  consciences, 
they  would  relish  gospel  forgiveness  far  more.  He  that 
has  been  in  the  prison  of  conviction  prizes  blood-bought 
freedom.  He  that  has  felt  the  chains  of  sin  values  the 
liberty  wherewith  Christ  makes  him  free.  So  I  say, 
that  inasmuch  as  these  poor  creatures  were  brought  in 
from  the  streets,  and  their  splendid  appetites  enjoyed  the 
feast,  the  wedding  festival  was  no  failure,  but  all  the  greater 
success,  because  of  the  king's  enemies.  The  wedding 
was  furnished  with  guests — guests  who  enjoyed  the 
abundance  provided  by  the  king. 

Certainly,  the  occasion  became  more  famous  than  it  would 
otherwise  have  been.  If  the  feast  had  gone  on  as  usual 
it  would  have  been  only  one  among  many  such  things ; 
but  now  this  royal  banquet  was  the  only  one  of  its  kind, 
unique,  unparalleled.  To  gather  in  poor  men  off  the 
streets,  laboring  men  and  idle  men,  bad  men  and  good 
men,  to  the  wedding  of  the  crown  prince — this  was  a 
new  thing  under  the  sun.  Everybody  talked  of  it. 
There  were  songs  made  about  it,  and  these  were  smig  in 
the  king^s  honor  where  none  honored  kings  before.  In 
the  kitchens,  among  the  servants,  this  was  a  fine 
story  to  tell  by  the  fireside,  while  Mary  and  Jane  wished 
they  had  been  there  to  see.  In  every  lodging-house  for 
years  to  come  this  would  be  the  fixvorite  story — the  talc 


186  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:' 

of  the  poor  man's  pi^ince,  and  the  needy  man's  queen. 
On  the  exchange  and  in  the  market  men  talked  of  the  brave 
bride  and  bridegroom  who  had  defied  the  customs  of  fash- 
ion, and  had  done  a  deed  so  daring  in  its  goodness.  Was 
there  ever  such  a  thing  heard  of  before  %  Here  was  a  feast 
for  men  who  never  feasted  before  !  Sensible  men  said, 
^^  And  nothing  coidd  be  better  :  they  Avere  feeding  those 
that  wanted  feeding  :  they  were  giving  good  cheer  to 
those  who  have  little  enough  of  it,''  Among  the  poor 
themselves  the  prince's  name  was  very  famous,  while  the 
portrait  of  the  princess  was  nailed  up  over  the  mantel- 
piece. Children  said  to  one  another,  "  My  father  went 
to  the  wedding  of  the  imperial  prince."  To  many  it 
seemed  like  a  story  out  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  It  did 
not  read  like  a  piece  of  common  history  at  all,  but  like 
a  fairy  tale  of  the  age  of  gold.  Dear  friends,  when  the 
Lord  saved  some  of  us  by  his  grace,  it  was  no  common 
event.  When  he  brought  us  great  sinners  to  his  feet, 
and  washed  us,  and  clothed  us,  and  fed  us,  and  made  us 
his  own,  it  was  a  wonder  to  be  talked  of  for  ever  and 
ever.  We  will  never  leave  off  praising  his.  name, 
throughout  eternity.  That  which  looked  as  though  it 
would  defame  the  king  turned  out  to  his  honor,  and 
^'  the  wedding  was  furnished  with  guests." 

One  thing  more  :  ilie  hincfs  liheralitij  teas  all  the  better 
seen.  If  those  who  were  first  bidden  had  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance, they  would  have  come  arrayed  in  their  own 
scarlet  and  fine  linen.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  would  have 
bought  a  new  suit  on  purpose.  You  may  depend  upon 
it,  all  the  cunning  women  in  the  city  would  have  been 
employed  to  get  their  ladyships  ready  for  the  banquet, 
that  they  might  have  honor  in  the  court  that  day.  Now 
these  fine  clothes  would  have  been  more  for  the  glory  of 


"  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:'         187 

tliose  wIk)  came  in  them,  than  for  the  honor  of  the  king. 
There  was  nothing  of  this  among  those  who  were  gathered 
from  the  Iiighways.  They  were  in  sorry  gear.  It  was 
difficult,  perhaps,  in  some  cases,  to  tell  which  was  the 
original  stuff  of  their  garments,  so  patched  and  mended 
were  they.  Anyhow,  they  were  a  ragged  regiment ;  and 
what  was  the  consequence  ?  Why,  then  they  must  all 
be  dressed  in  the  prince's  own  livery,  and  all  the  glory 
of  their  apparel  must  be  unto  him.  lie  said  to  his  ser- 
vants, '^  Go  to  my  wardrobe.  Bring  forth  changes  of 
raiment."  Every  one  that  came  in  to  the  feast  was  in- 
vited to  put  on  the  king's  wedding  garments.  When  he 
came  in  to  see  the  guests,  it  was  a  grand  sight,  for  every- 
body was  royally  arrayed.  The  king's  wedding  robes 
were  much  better  than  his  subjects'  best  suits.  It  was  a 
grand  sight  to  see  so  many  all  in  one  royal  livery  ;  every 
guest  Avcaring  the  uniform  of  mercy.  So  is  it  w^th  us 
poor  sinners,  saved  by  grace.  If  we  had  possessed  any 
true  righteousness  of  our  own  we  should  have  worn  it ; 
but  now  we  count  our  own  righteousness  but  dross  and 
dung  that  we  may  win  Christ  and  be  found  in  him.  His 
righteousness  decorates  all  the  saints :  they  could  not  be 
better  arrayed.  Thus  is  the  feast  made  more  glorious 
than  it  otherwise  would  have  been,  and  the  wedding  is 
furnished  with  guests. 

How  I  wish  that  I  could  gather  in  many  this  morning, 
both  bad  and  good !  I  mean  by  good,  those  who  are 
comparatively  so  as  to  their  moral  conduct.  You  are 
bidden  to  come  to  the  wedding-feast  of  love.  But  even 
if  you  are  bad,  and  obliged  to  own  that  you  are  so,  I  am 
equally  anxious  to  gather  you  in  to  the  feast.  Do  you 
ask  me  :  What  are  we  to  do  ?  What  were  these  per- 
sons to  do  ?     To  come  just  as  they  were,  and  freely  re- 


188  "  WEDDING  FURNISHED    WITH  GLESTS:' 

ceive  what  the  king  had  freely  provided.  Sometimes  at 
our  treats  for  Smiday- school  children  every  child  is  told 
to  bring  his  own  mug  and  plate  ;  but  it  is  not  so  with 
our  great  King.  His  banquet  is  too  royal  for  that.  You 
are  to  bring  nothing.  Still,  everybody  must  go  home 
and  wash,  must  he  not  %  No,  the  washing  and  the  cloth- 
ing shall  all  be  done  for  you  at  the  King's  palace.  Come 
as  you  are.  ^^But  what  do  you  mean  "by  coming  ?'^  We 
mean  trusting ;  trust  your  soul  with  Jesus  Christ,  and  he 
will  save  it.  Trust  him,  and  you  shall  know  that  he 
died  in  your  room,  place,  and  stead,  so  that,  believing  in 
him,  you  shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 
May  the  Holy  Spirit  lead  you  to  believe  in  Jesus,  that 
is,  trust  him. 

I  have  told  you  the  gospel,  and  the  whole  of  it.  Trust 
the  crucified  Saviour,  and  you  shall  live.  Jesus  says, 
^^  Look  unto  me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the 
earth."  Do  not  look  within  to  see  what  is  there,  but 
look  to  Jesus  hanging  on  the  cross.  A  look  at  Christ 
crucified  will  save  you.  Look,  dear  girls,  young  as  you 
are,  look  to  Jesus  now  !  Look,  ye  gray-headed  men  and 
v/omcn  who  have  never  looked  before :  look  now !  Stran- 
gers and  foreigners,  who  have  not  heard  this  word  be- 
fore, there  is  life  in  a  look  at  the  Crucified  One  for  you ! 
Ye  guiltiest  of  the  guilty,  and  ye  most  amiable  of  the 
amiable,  turn  away  from  anything  there  is  in  yourselves, 
bad  or  good,  and  look  to  Jesus  only.  Receive  from  Jesus 
all  he  brings  you — pardon,  righteousness,  sanctification 
redemption,  himself.  He  that  comes  to  a  wedding  feast 
has  nothing  to  do  but  to  eat  and  to  drink.  Give  your 
mind  up  to  this  delightful  exercise.  Take  the  food  which 
God  provides  you.     You  shall  do  good  works  afterwards, 


«'  WEDDLXG  FURNISHED    WITH  GUESTS:'  189 

for  they  will  follow  as  a  consequence  of  tlie  strength 
which  comes  of  receiving  heavenly  food  through  faith  ; 
but  just  now  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  as  becomes  a 
Prince's  marriage.  May  the  Father  be  pleased,  his  Son 
be  honored,  and  his  church  be  comforted  through  you ! 
Amen  and  Amen. 


IX. 

WHAT   IS   THE   WEDDING    GARMENT? 

Maij  20,  1888. 

"  And  when  tlie  king  came  into  see  the  guests,  he  saw  there  a 
man  which  had  not  on  a  wedding  garment :  and  he  saith  unto  him, 
Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in  hither  not  having  a  wedding  garment  ? 
And  he  was  speechless.  Then  said  tlie  king  to  the  servants,  Bind 
him  hand  and  foot,  and  take  him  away,  and  cast  liim  into  outer 
darkness;  tliere  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." — Mat- 
thew xxii.  11-13. 

Two  Sabbath  mornings  ago  I  preached  from  this 
parable,  and  I  trust  many  were  encouraged  by  it  ; 
but  I  noticed  among  inquirers  who  came  to  see  me 
afterwards,  a  desire  to  know  about  the  wedding 
garment ;  for  they  feared  lest,  in  coming  to  join  the 
church,  they  should  come  like  the  man  of  whom  I 
shall  now  speak.  Many  true  hearts  are  extremely  sensi- 
tive to  the  impression  of  fear,  and  they  seem  to  be  on  the 
watch  for  reasons  for  anxiety.  I  do  not  condemn  them ; 
on  the  contrary,  I  wish  there  were  more  of  such  holy 
tremblers.  It  is  much  better  to  be  afraid  of  being  wrong 
than  to  be  indifferent  as  to  what  you  are.  I  perceive 
among  the  very  best  of  the  saints  a  considerable  number 
who  are  deeply  anxious  as  to  their  state  before  God. 
Those  who  will  one  day  be  cast  out  of  the  wedding  feast 
are  feeding  themselves  without  fear,  while  those  who 
have  the  most  right  to  enjoy  the  banquet  are  full  of  gra- 
cious anxiety.     Solomon  says,  "  Happy  is  the  man  that 

(190) 


WHAT  IS    THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  191 

feareth  alwaj  "  :  he  will  cling  closely  to  his  God^  and 
that  will  make  him  happy  ;  he  will  not  rmi  risks  like  the 
presumptuous,  and  so  he  will  be  happy.  Holy  fear 
spreads  few  banquets,  but  it  takes  care  that  when  there 
is  a  feast  we  go  to  it  in  a  wedding  garment. 

My  chief  object  this  morning  will  be  to  allay  the  fears 
of  gracious  ones.  If  they  understand  what  the  wedding 
garment  really  is,  they  will  probably  discover  that  they 
are  wearing  it ;  and,  if  not,  they  will  know  in  whose 
wardrobe  that  garment  of  joy  is  to  be  found,  and  they 
will  gladly  ask  to  be  arrayed  therein.  May  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  Comforter,  give  a  wedding  joy  this  morning  to 
each  wedding  guest,  by  causing  him  to  see  for  certain 
that  he  is  clothed  in  the  wedding  robe. 

Immediately  after  our  text,  we  find  these  solemn 
w^ords  :  '•^  Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen."  This 
is  a  conclusion  drawn  from  the  whole  parable,  in  which 
we  see  processes  at  work  which  separate  the  chosen  few 
from  the  many  wdio  are  called.  A  distinction  was  made 
by  the  summoning  of  the  invited  guests.  The  simple 
delivery  of  the  invitation  set  a  difference  between  the 
loyal  and  the  rebellious — a  distinction  most  marked  and 
decisive.  So  it  is  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel :  we 
preach  it  to  every  creature  within  our  reach.  Lovingly, 
tenderly,  earnestly  ;  not  so  well  as  we  would,  but  still 
with  all  our  heart  we  call  men  to  the  royal  feast  of  grace  ; 
and  straightway  the  very  invitation  begins  to  gather  out 
the  precious  from  the  vile.  Pure  gospel  preaching  is 
very  discriminating.  You  can  tell  Cain  from  Abel  as 
soon  as  the  sacrifice  is  the  subject.  R;each_sdv:ajjiiii-by 
grace,  and  you  find  that  some  will  not  have  it  at  any 
price,  others  postpone  alFconsidcration  of  it,  and  a  third 
party  raise   questions  without  end.     Still  do  men  make 


192  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

light  of  it,  and  go  their  way  to  their  farms  and  to  the,ir 
merchandise.  Thus,  dear  friends,  every  Sabbath  day, 
without  our  attempting  to  sit  in  judgment  on  men,  the 
gospel  is  in  itself  a  rehning  fire.  In  the  gospel  the  Son 
of  David  has  a  throne  of  judgment  as  well  as  of  mercy. 
When  men  ^vill  not  have  Christ  and  lis  grace,  the  Word 
preached  by  his  humble  servant  drives  them  away,  and 
they  go  with  the  chaff.  But  the  work  of  discrimination 
is  not  finished  after  the  gospel  has  been  heard  and  men 
have  been  brought  into  the  church.  Alas !  even  in  the 
chui'ch  division  has  to  be  made  ;  indeed,  it  is  there  that 
this  is  most  fully  carried  out.  "  His  fan  is  in  his  handj, 
and  he  will  throughly  purge  his  floor."  If  he  uses  a 
scourge  nowhere  else,  he  will  be  sure  to  use  it  in  his  own 
temple.  Among  the  sheep  there  are  goats  ;  among  the 
virgins  there  are  foolish  ones  5  and^among  the  guests  at 
the  wedding  feast  there  are  those  who^aye  not  on  the 
wedding  garment.  Until  we  come  to  heaven  itself  we 
shall  always  discover  necessity  for  the  work  of  self-exam- 
ination. Even  in  the  apostolic  college,  Judas  carried  on 
his  knavery,  as  if  to  warn  us  that  no  rank  in  service,  no 
honor  among  brethren,  no  length  of  experience  can  screen 
us  from  the  necessity  of  saying,  '^  Lord,  is  it  I  ?  "  when 
his  warning  voice  saith,  "One  of  you  shall  betray  me.'^ 
In  our  text  we  see  a  man  who  has  hearkened  to  the  in- 
vitation and  has  come  into  the  feast,  and  thus  has  passed 
the  first  test ;  and  yet  he  is  imable  to  abide  the  second ; 
he  has  been  received  by  the  servants,  but  he  cannot  de- 
ceive their  master.  The  king  detects  him  as  a  spot  in 
the  feast,  and  he  is  cast  out  from  the  palace  of  mercy 
into  the  outer  darkness,  where  there  is  weeping,  and  wail- 
ing, and  gnashing  of  teeth.  May  hoiie'df  us^  be  of  this 
sort. 


WHAT  IS    77/ K    WEDDING   GARMENT?  I93 

I  shall  endeavor  to  answer  four  questions  naturally- 
arising  out  of  the  parable.  First,  Wliat  is  meant  hij  the 
hinges  coming  in  f — ''  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the 
guests " ;  secondly,  What  is  the  tvedcling  garment  f 
thirdly,  Who  is  he  that  hath  it  not  f  and  fourthly,  Why 
did  he  stand  speechless  when  he  was  asked,  '^  How  earnest 
thou  in  hither  not  having  a  wedding  garment  ?  " 

I.     May^  the  Holy  Spirit   help   us  while  we   consider, 

first,  WHAT    IS   MEANT    BY   THE    KING^S    COMING  IN. 

"  The  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests."  They  were 
all  reclining  at  the  tables,  for  "  the  wedding  was  fur- 
nished with  guests."  They  gathered  while  the  sun  was 
up,  but  darkness  covered  the  world  outside  when  "  the 
king  came  in  to  see  the  guests."  They  had  feasted,  and 
now  the  king  came  to  honor  the  assembly. 

It  ivas  the  crown  and  the  culmination  of  the  feast.  No 
matter  how  dainty  the  viands,  nor  how  bright  the  hall,  the 
feast  has  not  reached  its  height  till  his  majesty  appears  in 
gracious  condescension.  It  is  so  with  us,  beloved,  in  re- 
ference to  our  greater  King.  When  we  are  gathered  in 
this  house,  which  has  often  proved  to  us  a  palace  of  de- 
lights, we  never  reach  the  height  of  our  desire  till  the 
Lord  manifests  himself  to  us.  You  delight  to  hear  the 
preacher,  and  to  join  in  the  song,  and  to  say  Amen  to 
the  prayer,  but  these  are  not  all.  Your  heart  and  your 
flesh  cry  out  for  God,  for  the  living  God ;  you  look  to 
behold  the  King  in  his  beauty.  When  the  glorious 
Father  reveals  himself  in  Christ  Jesus,  then  the  Sabbath 
is  a  high  day,  for  our  pray^er  is  answered,  "  Make  thy 
face  to  shine  upon  thy  servant."  Our  glorious  King  is 
not  always  equally  manifest  in  our  solemn  assemblies. 
Doubtless  because  of  our  sins  he  hideth  himself.  In  truth 
he  is  always  with  us ;  for  the  feast  is  his,  and  the  hall  is 


194  WHAT  IS   7 'HE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

liis,  and  every  guest  is  brought  in  by  his  grac<?,  and 
every  dish  on  the  table  is  placed  there  by  his  love  ;  but 
yet  there  are  times  when  he  is  specially  seen  among  his 
people.  Then  our  communion  with  the  Father,  and  with 
his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  is  sweet  indeed. 

These  are  seasons  of  gracious  visitation  :  times  of  re- 
freshing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  When  the  King 
comes  into  the  assembly,  the  preaching  of  the  word  is  in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  in  power.  Then  the 
day  of  Pentecost  has  fidly  come  :  the  Spirit  is  abundantly 
outpoured,  souls  are  saved,  saints  are  edified,  and  Christ 
is  glorified.  The  spiritual  soon  detect  the  divine  pres- 
ence, and  the  shout  of  a  King  is  heard  in  the  camp. 
When  I  think  of  it,  my  heart  cries  out  with  Isaiah,  ^^  Oh 
that  thou  wouldest  rend  the  heavens,  that  thou  wouldest 
come  down,  that  the  mountains  might  flow  down  at  thy 
presence ! "  The  presence  of  our  God  brings  with  it 
heavenly  happiness,  solemn  content,  and  overflowing  joy. 
Well  does  Dr.  Watts  sing  : — 

"  The  King  himself  comes  near, 
And  feasts  his  saints  to-day  ; 
Here  we  maj  sit  and  see  him  here, 
And  love,  and  praise,  and  pray. 

*'  One  day  amidst  the  place 

AVhere  my  dear  God  hath  been 
Is  sweeter  than  ten  thousand  days 
Of  pleasurable  sin." 

Beloved  friends,  you  know  better  than  I  can  tell  you 
when  the  King  is  near,  and  you  know  sorrowfully  when 
he  is  not  in  the  assembly.  Alas,  from  how  many  con- 
gregations is  he  absent,  and  that  absence  unmourned ! 
When  the  Lord  is  gone  we  spread  our  sails,  but  there  is 
no  wind:  we  bring  the  sacrifice,  but  there  is  no  fire.     The 


WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  195 

wedding  Avoiild  have  been  a  failure  without  guests  ;  but 
what  would  the  feast  have  been  if  the  host  had  refused  to 
come  in  and  see  the  guests  ?  But  the  King  came  in  in 
due  time.  Ay,  came  in  among  that  crowd  of  wayfarers 
gathered  from  the  highways  at  a  moment's  notice,  and 
his  presence  crowned  the  festival  with  honor  and  rap- 
ture. 

This  coming  in  to  see  the  guests  indicates  a  glorious 
revelation  of  himself.  When  the  King  saw  the  guests,  the 
guests  saw  him  ;  but,  inasmuch  as  his  sight  of  them  was 
the  more  important  sight  of  the  two,  the  chief  thing  is 
mentioned  while  the  minor  matter  is  implied.  Do  we 
know  what  it  is  to  see  God  ?  This  is  the  special  privi- 
lege of  the  pure  in  heart.  When  the  Lord's  way  is  in 
the  sanctuary,  then  his  sanctified  ones  behold  him. 
Spiritual  eyes  have  looked  to  Jesus  by  faith,  and  he 
saith,  ^^  He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father.'^ 
Have  you  never  been  like  John  in  Patmos,  ready  to 
swoon  away  because  of  the  revelation  of  the  Father  in 
Christ  ?  When  Jesus  has  been  set  forth  evidently  cruci- 
fied among  us,  we  have  in  him  beheld  the  face  of  the 
great  King,  and  our  hearts  have  leaped  for  joy,  so  that 
we  have  been  ready  to  leap  into  heaven  itself  if  the  word 
had  been  given.  When  Augustine  read  those  words, 
^^  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face  and  live,"  he  was  bold 
enough  to  answer,  ^^  Let  me  die  to  see  thy  face." 

Blessed  vision ! 


''Lord,  let  me  see  thy  beanteons  face! 
It  yields  a  heaven  below  ; 
And  angels  round  the  throne  will  say, 
'Tis  all  the  heaven  they  know." 

The  King  delights  to  see  his  guests,  and  his  guests  de- 


196  IVBAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

light  to  see  him.  Then  is  our  worship  full  of  bliss,  and 
no  place  out  of  heaven  is  so  like  to  heaven  as  the  place 
of  our  assemblies.  We  read  in  the  Gospel  of  John  : 
"Then  were  the  disciples  glad  when  they  saw  the  Lord  j" 
and  well  they  might  be.  Then  are  we  glad  also  when  we 
distinctly  discern  him  as  our  Lord  and  our  God.  My  own 
soul  knows  this  joy  unspeakable,  but  because  it  is  un- 
speakable, I  say  no  more. 

For  the  King  to  come  in  and  see  the  guests  includes 
a  manifestation  of  special  favor.  He  comes  in,  not  to 
judge  the  guests,  but  to  look  upon  them.  You  that  were 
here  last  Thursday  might  will  remember  my  text :  "Look 
thou  upon  me,  and  be  merciful  unto  me,  as  thou  usest  to 
do  unto  those  that  love  thy  name."  The  Lord  is  accus- 
tomed to  look  with  favor  upon  those  who  love  his  name, 
for  he  is  pleased  with  them.  O  brothers  and  sisters, 
when  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  when  the  Father  lifts  upon  us  the  light  of 
his  countenance,  then  our  summer  weather  is  come.  Can 
anything  be  compared  with  the  favor  of  God!  The 
smiles  of  kings,  the  friendships  of  emperors — do  not 
mention  them  in  the  same  day.  Some  of  you  know  that 
the  Lord  loves  you  ;  yea,  that  he  loved  you  from  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  and  he  will  love  you  when 
the  world  has  ceased  to  be.  Oh  that  the  King  would 
come  here  this  morning  in  that  sense,  and  look  into  all 
your  faces,  and  give  you  all  the  full  assurance  that  you 
are  in  his  heart,  and  shall  be  there  to  all  eternity !  Oh 
that  this  whole  church  may  be  a  living  temple  in  which 
the  Lord  shall  delight  to  dwell ;  may  every  stone  of  it  be 
brilliant  with  the  reflected  light  of  his  favor ;  may  all 
our  testimonies  and  labors  be  acceptable  unto  him,  and 
may  he  be  very  gracious  at  the  voice  of  our  cry !     O 


WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  197 

Jehovah,  manifest  thyself  here  as  thou  didst  between 
the  cherubim  %  For  thy  sake  we  have  borne  reproach  5 
Lord,  be  our  glory  !  We  have  held  fast  thy  truth  ;  we 
beseech  thee,  let  the  light  of  thy  countenance  encourage 
us ! 

But  here  is  the  solemn  point  to  which  I  call  your  at- 
tention :  this  visitation  brings  with  it  dJilM-^f  discovery 
and  searching  of  heart  When  the  king  comes  in  to  see 
the  guests,  the  light  grows  stronger^  and  hidden  things 
are  revealed  ;  for  all  things  are  naked  and  open  to  the 
eyes  of  him  with  whom  we  have  to  do.  When  the  Lord 
visits  his  church,  his  fire  is  in  Zion,  and  his  furnace  in 
Jerusalem  ;  then  the  man  without  a  wedding  garment  is 
winked  at  no  longer.  You  can  go  on  sleeping  as  a 
church  when  God  is  away,  and  no  members  will  fall  off  j 
for  those  who  know  not  the  Lord  Avill  come  in  and  go  out 
among  you  as  aforetime.  The  dead  will  remain  quiet  till 
the  Lord  sounds  the  trumpet  of  resurrection :  mere  pro- 
fessors will  not  know  that  they  are  making  a  false  profes- 
sion, but  will  remain  at  ease  in  our  solemn  feasts.  But 
when  the  King  comes  in  all  things  are  changed.  '^  Who 
may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming  ?  and  who  shall  stand 
when  he  appeareth !  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and 
like  fuller's  sope."  You  cannot  receive  abimdant  spirit- 
ual life  into  the  church  without  the  discernment  of  the 
unworthy,  and  the  expulsion  of  the  spiritually  dead.  One 
goes  away  because  he  is  offended  at  the  doctrine,  another 
is  grieved  at  the  heart-searching  experience,  and  a  third 
feels  himself  too  sternly  rebuked  as  to  his  life.  Thus  the 
Lord's  visitation  of  grace  becomes  an  assize  of  judgment, 
and  the  finger  of  the  Lord  writes  upon  the  wall,^/.^  Thou 
art  weighed  in  the  balfmce,jmiilliJoun  If 

the  Lord^ouF^od  were  to  come  into  his  church  to-day 


198  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

there  would  be  an  awful  shrinkage  among  the  number  of 
his  guests ;  a  panic  would  seize  the  assembly,  and  the 
door  would  be  blocked  with  men  hastening  to  escape  his 
eye. 

Look  how  the  king's  discernment  is  recorded  in  the 
text.  One  man  only  had  refused  to  put  on  a  wedding 
garment ;  but  the  king  at  once  fixed  his  eye  upon  him. 
The  Saviour,  by  a  kind  of  heavenly  charity,  mentions 
only  one  intruder,  but  I  fear  we  must  regard  the  one  as 
a  type  of  many.  If  the  King  should  come  in  at  the  time 
of  our  commmiion,  I  am  afraid  he  w^ould  detect  more 
than  one.  Still,  if  there  were  but  one,  he  would  concen- 
trate his  gaze  upon  that  one,  and  speak  to  him  by  him- 
self. If  you  are  the  only  person  who  has  dared  to  enter 
the  church  knowing  that  you  are  not  converted,  the  King 
will  spy  you  out.  If  you  make  a  profession  of  religion 
out  of  bravado,  and  keep  it  up  by  sheer  deceit,  you  may 
hide  yoiu'self  away  among  your  family  connections,  or 
think  that  your  respectability  will  screen  you  ;  but  you 
are  mistaken.  You  have  to  deal  with  one  whose  eyes 
are  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  he  will  so  unmask  you  that 
you  will  not  have  a  word  to  say  in  your  own  defence. 
This  is  a  solemn  matter.  It  will  not  make  the  true- 
hearted  wish  the  King  to  stay  away,  but  those  who  are 
wilful  deceivers  may  well  tremble.  The  King  does  come 
to  this  church.  He  is  specially  present  in  the  midst  of 
this  people,  and  the  consequence  is  that  his  judgment  is 
strict  with  us.  I  have  seen  the  rod  of  his  discipline  here 
in  a  very  striking  manner.  I  have  seen  the  fair  profes- 
sor wither  in  the  heat  of  love,  and  the  rootless  Christian 
dried  up  in  the  noontide  of  grace.  He  might  have  gone 
on  very  well  in  any  other  church,  but  he  has  not  been 
able  to  abide  the  brandished  sword  of  the  Spirit,   and  its 


IVHAT  IS    7 'HE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  199 

dividing  asunder  soul  and  spirit,  joints  and  marrow.  He 
has  not  been  able  to  sit  it  out,  but  has  been  obliged  to  go 
away  and  find  an  easier  rest.  Just  in  proportion  as  we 
really  have  the  King  in  the  midst  of  us  making  glad  the 
saints,  we  shall  have  the  King  in  the  midst  of  us  discern- 
ing the  false  and  casting  them  out,  first  into  the  outer 
darkness  of  the  world,  which  lieth  in  the  wicked  one,  and 
at  last  into  the  outer  darkness  of  weeping,  and  wailing, 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Still,  be  the  result  what  it  may, 
our  prayer  this  morning  is,  ^^  God  be  merciful  unto  us, 
and  bless  us  ;   and  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon  us." 

II.  Now  I  would  answer  the  second  question  :  what 
IS  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT  %  You  are  probably  aware 
that  this  has  been  a  point  greatly  disputed  among  theolo- 
gians. Is  the  wedding  garment  justification,  or  sanctifi- 
cation,  or  what  ?  I  am  not  going  to  be  theological  and 
bring  doctrinal  matters  to  the  text ;  but  I  shall  read  the 
parable  as  it  stands,  and  interpret  its  details  by  its  gen- 
eral run.  It  is  called  a  ^^«(;ef?f?m^  garment" — a  garment 
suitable  for  a  marriage  feast.  Let  us  translate  the 
figure,  rather  than  attempt  to  rivet  a  doctrine  to  it. 
What  does  a  wedding  garment  mean  %  What  is  that 
which  we  must  have  in  connection  with  our  Lord's  mar- 
riage or  be  cast  out  for  ever  % 

I  think  I  may  say  plainly  that  it  must  signify  a  dls- 
tinguishing  marlc  of  grace.  Everybody  does  not  Avear  a 
wedding  garment :  her  who  wears  it  has  put  it  on  because 
he  is  a  wedding  guest.  You  know  the  wedding  guest  at 
once  by  his  attire,  fle  dresses  in  a  way  which  woidd  be 
considered  singular  if  he  were  so  arrayed  every  day. 
Your  steady  citizen  indidges  in  a  white  waistcoat  on  the 
nuptial  occasion,  but  he  never  dreams  of  going  down  to 
his  office  in  the  city  in  such  gear.     True  members  of  the 


200  WHAT  IS  t:iE  wedding  garment? 

churcli  of  God  wear  a  distinguisliing  mark.  If  you  are 
not  different  from  other  people,  you  have  no  right  in  the 
church  of  God.  If  a  servant  can  live  with  you  for  years 
and  never  discover  y^our  love  to  God,  I  should  think  there 
is  none  to  discover.  If  you  are  just  the  same  as  those 
you  lived  with  in  your  former  days,  if  you  have  under- 
gone no  change,  and  are  like  the  rest  of  men,  you  have 
not  the  distinguishing  mark  which  sets  forth  your  right 
to  be  in  the  church  of  God.  There  ought  to  be  a  some- 
thing about  us  which  sets  us  apart — a  something  which 
can  be  seen  and  understood  by  common  people,  even  as 
a  wedding  garment  could  be  seen,  and  its  meaning  at 
once  perceived.  Your  religion  uiust  not  require  a  micro- 
scope  to  perceive  it,  nor  shoidd  it  be  so  indistinct  that 
few  can  discover  any  meaning  in  it.  j  It  should  be  as  vis- 
ible  as  the  white  garment  which  was  Avorn  Jby^Easterns  at 
a  marriage.      Is  it  so  ^^""^ 

I  may  boldly  add  here  that  the  wedding  garment  was 
a  distinguishing  mark  of  grace  ;  for  as  these  people  were 
fetched  in  from  the  highways  they  could  noi:  have  pro- 
vided themselves  with  wedding  garments.  It  is  the  cus- 
tom in  the  East  for  a  king  to  provide  robes  for  his 
guests  ;  therefore  this  wedding  garment  was  a  mark  of 
grace,  freely  given  and  received.  Is  there,  then,  a 
something  about  you  which  the  Lord  in  love  has  given 
you  ?  Do  you  differ  from  others,  not  in  natural  attain- 
ments, but  in  spiritual  grace  ?  Does  the  difference 
mainly  lie  in  what  God  himself  has  done  for  you  %  That 
is  the  question  involved  in  the  symbol  of  the  wedding 
garment.  Do  you  differ  from  what  you  used  to  be  ?  Do 
you  differ  from  what  you  were  years  ago  %  Do  you 
differ  from  those  with  whom  you  used  to  associate,  so 
that  you  seek  other  company  and  turn   aside   from  those 


W//A  T  IS    THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  201 

who  once  were  charming  fellows  to  you  %  If  so,  you 
have  on  the  wedding  garment.  It  is  a  distinguishing, 
mark.  I  do  not  mean  to  put  this  in  a  way  that  would 
grieve  anybody  here  unle£:s  they  ought  to  be  grieved  ; 
but  if  they  ought  to  be  grieved,  then  we  would  have  them 
cry  to  God  for  renewal  by  his  grace.  May  the  Lord 
make  you  to  wear  his  livery  !  May  he  give  you  the  spot 
of  his  children,  and  cause  you  no  longer  to  be  of  the 
world  !  A  distinguishing  mark  is  plainly  the  first  mean- 
ing of  the  wedding  garment. 

In  the  next  place,  it  was  a  symbol  of  respect  for  the  hing. 
To  be  fit  for  his  company,  the  dress  must  be  special. 
The  absence  of  such  a  dress  was,  in  the  case  before  us, 
the  badge  of  irreverence  and  disloyalty.  This  man  said 
to  himself:  '^  I  will  feed  at  th3  feast  without  acknowledg- 
ing its  intent.  Whoever  stops  me,  I  will  push  my  way  in, 
and  I  shall  sit  there  in  my  every-day  garments,  to  let  the 
king  know  that  I  do  not  respect  him  intlie  least,  and 
will  not  wear  the  robes  he  provides."  It  is  as  if  you 
had  lost  a  son,  and  some  wretched  man  should  say,  ^^  I 
will  attend  the  funeral  in  a  wedding  suit.  I  shall  thus 
wound  the  feelings  of  the  mourners,  and  show  my  con- 
tempt for  tlie  whole  afi'air."  What  an  insult  it  would  be  ! 
To  turn  the  picture.  Suppose  you  were  being  married, 
and  somebody  forced  his  way  into  the  wedding  dressed 
in  mourning,  with  crape  upon  his  hat,  and  black  kid 
gloves  upon  his  hands.  What  a  wanton  insult  !  If  such 
impudence  were  met  with  a  horse-whip,  who  would  be 
surprised  ?  Now,  this  man  acted  in  that  fashion :  he 
had  no  respect  for  the  king  :  he  showed  his  traitorous 
nature  in  the  worst  possible  manner,  spiting  the  king  in 
his  own  halls  upon  a  tender  occasion.  Dear  friends,  I 
trust  that  you  can  truly  say,  ''  I  have  on  the   wedding 


202  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING    GARMENT? 

garment  of  reverence  for  the  King.  I  do  not  despise  the 
Lord  God  ;  but  I  bow  before  him  in  true  worship.  I 
would  come  into  his  church,  not  to  dishonor  him,  but  to 
give  glory  to  his  name."  The  wedding  garment  was  a 
token  of  respect  to  him  who  had  provided  the  feast  and 
presided  over  it :  judge  you  this  day  whether  you  have 
on  the  wedding  garment,  by  inquiring  whether  you 
honor  and  reverence  the  Lord  God,  and  labor  to  be  obe- 
dient to  him  in  all  things. 

The  wedding  garment  was,  moreover,  a  tohen  of  Jionor 
for  the  prince.  Those  who  put  on  the  wedding  garment 
did  as  good  as  say,  '^  We  join  in  the  joy  of  the  prince, 
and  come  hither  to-day  to  show  our  attachment  to  him, 
and  to  wish  him  joy  of  his  bride.''  My  hearers,  do 
you  feel  a  love  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  Many  do 
not.  I  grieve  to  say  we  have  a  race  of  men  sprmig  up 
nowadays  who  call  themselves  Christians,  who  pour  con- 
tempt upon  his  precious  blood,  and  ridicule  the  substitu- 
tionary sacrifice.  Dreadful  assertion  !  but  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  fact.  The  name  of  Jesus,  why,  it  is  to  our  lives 
what  the  sun  is  to  the  sky,  what  the  nvers  are  to  the 
plains.  Nothing  makes  us  so  glad  as  thoughts  of  Jesus. 
I  am  sure  when  I  hear  a  sermon  about  Christ,  my  Mas- 
ter, my  very  heart  grows  warm  within  me.  Is  it  so  with 
you  ?  Well,  then,  you  have  on  the  wedding  garment  ; 
that  is  to  say,  you  do  truly,  though  it  be  but  in  a  simple 
way,  pay  homage  to  the  Prince  of  Peace  j  you  love  the 
name  and  person  of  Jesus,  and  you  come  into  his  church 
because  you  do  so. 

The  wedding  garment  also  signified  a  confession  of 
sympathy  IV ith  the  great  occasion.  Every  man  who  ate 
of  the  fatlings,  every  man  who  drank  of  the  wines,  every 
man  who  gave  his  presence,  was  a  helper  in  the  honors 


WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDLVG   GARMENT?  203 

of  that  wedding  feast,  save  only  this  one  intruder,  who 
would  not  even  pretend  to  join  iu  the  joy,  for  he  refused 
the  simple  aet  of  putting  on  a  robe  fit  for  the  feast. 
Dear  friend,  do  you  feel  sympathy  with  the  Lord's  pur- 
poses of  grace  !  Do  you  rejoice  that  Jesus  finds  a  bride 
among  our  race  I  Do  you  bless  God  for  the  covenant 
of  grace,  which  includes  incarnation,  redemption,  and 
sanctification  !  Do  you  bless  the  name  of  the  incarnate 
God  for  taking  into  everlasting  union  with  himself  a 
people  prepared  of  the  Lord  f  Well,  then,  you  are  in 
sympathy  with  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb,  and  you  have 
a  right  to  be  present  at  the  feast.  You  evidently  wear 
the  wedding  garment  which  denotes  your  joy  in  Christ, 
your  interest  in  his  church,  your  part  and  lot  in  the  joy- 
ous work  of  his  salvation. 

The  wedding  garment  means,  in  a  word,  conformity  to 
the  requirements  of  the  occasion.  It  was  a  wedding,  and 
the  guests  must  put  on  a  suitable  dress.  This  man  re- 
fused to  put  it  on.  He  was  jproud^.andwoiild  not  wear 
the  gift  _of_grace  ;  he  was  self-willed,  and  must  needs  be 
singular,  and  show  his  independence  of  mind.  The  reg- 
ulation was  by  no  means  irksome,  and  to  the  rest  of  the 
guests  the  commandment  was  not  grievous ;  but  this  man 
would  have  his  own  way  in  defiance  of  the  lord  of  the 
feast.  What  could  come  of  such  folly  "?  Xow,  beloved, 
one  of  the  requirements  of  the  feast  is,  that  you  with 
your  heart  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  that  you  take 
his  righteousness  to  be  your  righteousness.  Do  you  re- 
fuse this  I  If  you  will  not  accept  the  Lord  Jesus  as 
your  substitute,  bearing  your  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree,  you  have  not  the  wedding  garment.  Another  re- 
quirement is  that  you  should  repent  of  sin  and  forsake  it ; 
and  that  you  should  follow  after  holiness,  and  endeavor 


204  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

to  copy  the  example  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  You  are  to 
possess,  as  the  work  of  divine  grace,  a  godly  and  upright 
character.  Have  you  such  a  character  %  Even  though 
you  are  not  perfect,  yet,  inasmuch  as  you  follow  after 
righteousness,  you  have  the  wedding  garment.  You  say 
that  you  are  a  Christian  ;  do  you  live  like  a  Christian  ? 
Are  you  in  a  position  and  condition  which  agree  with  the 
gospel  feast  %     If  so,  you  have  on  the  wedding  garment. 

Those  v/ho  came  unto  the  feast  were,  when  they  came, 
both  bad  and  good  ;  so  that  the  wedding  garment  does 
not  relate  to  their  past  character,  but  relates  to  something 
with  which  they  were  invested  when  they  came  to  the 
banquet.  The  putting  on  of  a  wedding  robe  cannot  refer 
to  an  elaborate  ceremony,  or  a  feat  of  the  intellect,  or  to 
a  deep  experience  of  the  heart  ;  and  yet  it  involved  join- 
ing in  the  wedding,  or  not  joining  in  it.  It  involved 
reverence  for  the  king,  and  homage  to  the  prince,  and 
sympathy  with  the  whole  matter.  Look  well  to  your- 
selves, and  see  whether  you  truly  yield  yourselves  to  the 
Lord,  and  agree  with  him  in  the  whole  matter. 

III.  Thirdly,  WHO  IS  THE  MAN  THAT  HAS  NOT  ON 
THE    WEDDING    GARMENT  % 

I  should  say,  first,  lie  is  the  man  tvlio  rejects  GocTs  re- 
vealed gosjoel  that  he  may  foUoiv  his  own  thought  and  his 
oivn  ivisdom.  He  says  that  he  is  loyal  to  Christ,  and  he 
expects  all  his  fellow  guests  to  be  firm  friends  with  him, 
for  is  he  not  in  the  banquet  as  much  as  they  are  f  But 
he  does  not  mean  by  loyalty  what  they  mean  by  it.  He 
is  among  believers,  but  he  is  not  truly  of  them.  He 
talks  about  atonement  ;  he  does  not  mean  substitution. 
He  talks  about  the  divinity  of  Christ  ;  he  does  not  mean 
the  Grodhead  of  Christ.  He  talks  about  justification  by 
faith  5  but  he  does  not  mean  the  old-fashioned  doctrine. 


WHAT  IS    THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  205 

He  speaks  of  regeneration,  but  means  evolution.  He 
girds  liiuiself  with  the  garniemt  of  philosophy,  but  he  re- 
fuses the  robe  of  revelation,  for  the  cut  of  it  is  too  old- 
fashioned  for  him.  He  is  no  more  a  wedding  guest  than 
he  is  a  merry-andrew  ;  perhaps,  not  so  much  so.  He 
wears  raiment  in  which  the  robe  of  righteousness  and  the 
garments  of  gladness  are  not  to  be  seen.  The  looms  of 
free  grace  and  dying  love  have  never  woven  him  a  wed- 
ding dress.  His  robe  is  not  of  God's  provision  ;  it  is  from 
his  own  wardrobe.  He  glories  in  his  own  culture,  and 
not  in  the  revelation  of  God,  nor  yet  in  the  work  of  divine 
grace  upon  the  heart.  He  is  in  the  church,  but  he  is  not 
in  Christ.     He  has  a  name  to  live,  but  he  is  dead. 

The  next  person  who  has  not  on  the  wedding  garment 
is  the  man  lulio  refuses  the  righteousness  of  God  because  he 
has  a  righteousness  of  his  own.  He  thinks  his  work-day 
dress  good  enough  for  Christ's  own  wedding.  What  does 
he  want  with  imputed  righteousness  ?  He  scouts  it  as 
immoral.  He  who  is  himself  immoral  !  What  does  he 
want  with  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  ?  He  does  not 
need  to  be  washed  from  crimson  stains.  He  writes  a 
paper  against   the    sensuousness   of  those    persons   who 


''There  is  a  fountain  filled  witli  blood 
Drawn  from  Immamiers  veius." 

His  own  righteousness,  though  it  be  of  the  law,  and  such 
as  Paul  rejected,  he  esteems  so  highly  that  he  counts  the 
blood  of  the  covenant  an  unholy  i\\\n%  !  Ah  me,  the  in- 
solence of  self-righteousness  !  Its  pride  is  the  very  chief 
of  sins,  for  it  slights  the  righteousness  of  God.  Practi- 
cally, the  self-righteous  man  does  not  see  any  wedding  in 
the  gospel  system ;  he  does  see  anything  in  the  gospel  to 


206  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

make  liim  glad,  nothing  for  him  to  sing  about,  nothing  to 
make  him  shout  for  joy  of  heart.  He  will  not  praise  the 
Prince.  Not  he  !  He  is  under  the  law,  and  he  is  con- 
tent to  be  a  slave  ;  he  is  trying  to  save  himself  by  his 
own  works,  and  law  knows  no  holidays.  He  is  not  a 
wedding  guest,  but  a  mere  drudge. 

Another  sort  of  person  has  profession  ivitliout  feelwg. 
If  he  were  outside  of  the  church  his  conscience  might 
trouble  him  :  he  has  come  inside  of  it,  and  now  he  says 
to  himself,  "It  is  aU  right.'^  He  does  not  care  to  watch 
his  feelings ;  he  never  had  any :  he  would  rather  not  have 
any.  To  the  power  of  the  Word  he  is  a  stranger,  though 
he  knows  the  letter  of  it.  As  to  repentance,  and  the  bur- 
den of  sin,  he  never  knew  them,  and  does  not  want  to 
know  them.  He  thinks  Mr.  Bunyan  must  have  been 
superstitious  or  morbid  when  he  wrote  ''  Grace  Abound- 
ing." Joy  in  the  Lord  is  equally  a  thing  unknown  to 
him,  for  he  hates  all  excitement.  He  has  no  solemn  de- 
pressions and  no  raptures,  for  he  has  no  spiritual  life. 
As  he  has  no  holy  feeling,  so  he  has  no  holy  action  :  he 
is  a  Christian,  he  says  ;  but  having  put  up  the  sign- 
board, he  drives  no  trade.  His  religion  operates  far  more 
upon  his  boots  and  his  hat  than  it  does  upon  his  heart ; 
that  is  to  say,  he  comes  out  respectably  dressed  on  a  Sun- 
day, but  his  religion  never  affects  his  conduct.  Nobody 
can  find  much  fault  with  him,  except  that  he  is  as  dead 
as  a  door  nail.  He  commits  no  gross  sin,  he  certainly 
performs  no  brilliant  deeds  of  piety.  Spiritually  he  is  a 
very  well  washed  corpse — that  is  all. 

We  have  others  who  are  in  the  church,  who  thinh  that 
ivhatthey  have  done  themselves^  or  ivhat  nature  has  done  for 
them,  is  quite  enough.  They  do  not  seek  anything  super- 
natiu'al.     They  do  not  want  any  wedding  garment  more 


WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENTl  207 

tlian  their  every-day  coats.  They  are  quite  reputable  in 
appearance  even  now,  and  with  a  little  touching  up  they 
will  be  good  enough  without  the  new  birth,  and  without 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Alas,  my  hearers !  all  that  nature  can 
ever  do  for  you  will  leave  you  on  the  wrong  side  of 
heaven.  You  may  cultivate  nature  to  its  utmost,  it  will 
never  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  "  Ye  must  be 
born  again."  If  you  ha^^e  not  come  into  living  contact 
with  a  living  Saviour  by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  you 
may  be  in  the  Church,  but  you  are  not  in  Christ,  and 
have  not  on  the  wedding  garment. 

Why,  some  dare  to  come  into  the  church  who  liave  not 
even  common  moraUfi/,  It  is  shocking  we  should  have  to 
say  it,  but  nowadays,  we  meet  with  those  who  call  them- 
selves Christians  who  can  drink  upon  the  sly,  who  can 
commit  uncleanness  with  their  bodies,  who  can  be  dis- 
honest in  their  trading,  who  can  be  liars,  who  can  hate 
their  own  flesh  and  blood  and  be  at  enmity  with  their 
brethren,  and  yet  dare  to  come  to  the  communion  table. 
In  the  highlands  of  Scotland  it  was  at  one  time  difficult 
to  get  Christian  people  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Table,  for 
they  so  trembled  under  a  sense  of  their  unworthiness. 
We  do  not  want  to  push  this  too  far,  but  that  is  a  great 
deal  better  than  that  unholy  daring,  which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  minds  of  so  many  who  serve  Christ  and  Belial. 
God  save  his  church  from  degradation !  Unholy  pro- 
fessors have  not  on  a  wedding  garment :  their  outward 
robes  by  no  means  befit  the  King's  feast ;  but  they  are  a 
dishonor  to  him. 

I  do  not  see  how  that  man  can  be  said  to  have  on  a 
wedding  garment  tvJio  taJces  no  interest  in  the  worh  of  tlie 
church.  You  see  when  a  man  put  on  the  wedding  gar- 
ment,  he   did  as  good  as  say,   ^'  I  am   interested  in  the 


208  WHAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

wedding.  I  wish  God's  blessing  to  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom." But  many  come  in  now  to  the  King's  feast  who 
do  not  care  a  snap  of  the  finger  for  the  church  of  God, 
nor  for  Christ  either.  They  come  in  because  a  sort  of 
selfishness  makes  them  anxious  to  be  saved ;  but  as  to 
the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  they  do  not  care  whether  she 
starves  or  flourishes.  Sad  and  wretched  business  this  ! 
If  members  of  the  church  only  can  distribute  tracts  or  at- 
tend meetings  for  prayer — if  they  are  doing  this,  and 
show  an  interest  thus  in  the  wedding — they  have  on  the 
wedding  garment.  But  if  all  they  do  is  simply  to  hear, 
either  to  criticise  or  to  enjoy,  but  never  work  for  Christ, 
nor  pray  for  Christ,  they  have  no  sympathy  in  the  wedding 
feast,  and  therefore  they  have  not  on  a  wedding  garment. 

IV.  To  close,  WHY  WAS  this  man^p^chless  f  We 
do  not  often  meet  with  people  who  have  no  excuse.  Ex- 
cuse-making is  the  easiest  trade  out.  A  man  can  make 
an  excuse  out  of  nothing  at  all,  or  out  of  what  is  less 
than  nothing,  out  of  a  direct  lie.  But  here  was  a  man 
who  could  not  speak.     Why  was  that  ? 

AVell,  I  think,  first,  the  affront  ivas  too  'bare-faced, 
"  How  camest  thou  in  hither  %  "  If  he  did  not  like  the 
king  he  could  have  kept  outside.  There  was  no  need 
why  he  should  come  in  at  all,  and  there  display  his  mal- 
ice. If  any  of  you  are  resolved  to  be  lost,  you  need  not 
add  to  your  eternal  ruin  by  making  a  profession  of  re- 
ligion, for  hypocrisy  is  a  superfluity  of  naughtiness.  But 
this  man  wilfully  refused  the  wedding  garment.  Now, 
those  dear  soids  I  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  the  ser- 
mon do  not  wilfully  refuse  the  Lord's  grace  :  I  am  sure 
they  do  not.  Oh  no,  they  are  afraid  they  are  not  right, 
but  they  do  not  wish  to  be  wrong.  Such  are  not  among 
those  whom  this  parable  condemns. 


WHAT  IS    THE    WEDDING   GARMENT?  0Q9 

Next,  the  affront  was  so  audacious.  ^^IIow  earnest  thou 
in  hither  ? "  said  the  king.  He  must  have  pushed  by 
the  deacons  at  the  door.  The  fellow  would  come  in. 
When  the  king  said,  ^^  Bind  him  hand  and  foot,"  I  think 
it  was  because  he  had  used  hand  and  foot  to  get  in.  He 
would  get  in  ;  he  said,  "  I  will  get  in.  I  will  defy  the 
king  to  his  face,  and  sit  in  among  his  guests  without  a 
wedding  garment."  You,  dear  friend,  do  not  wish  to  do 
that :  I  am  sure  it  is  the  last  thing  you  would  do.  Why 
we  have  to  persuade  you  to  come  in  at  all ;  for  you  are 
so  tenderly  jealous  lest  you  should  be  mistaken.  Do  not 
let  this  parable  condemn  you. 

But  why  was  this  man  speechless  ?  I  answer  once 
more,  because  it  was  the  hing  himself  tvlio  spoke  to  him. 
Ah  !  if  I  speak  to  you,  what  am  I  but  flesh  and  blood  ? 
You  do  not  mind  me  !  But  if  the  King  himself  were 
here  to-day,  and  he  said  to  any  one  of  you,  ^^  Friend, 
how  camest  thou  in  hither  not  having  a  wedding  gar- 
ment ?  "  the  tone  of  his  voice,  the  glory  of  his  presence, 
would  flash  in  upon  your  hearts,  you  would  be  obliged  to 
feel  it,  and  you  could  not  invent  an  answer.  If  you  do 
not  love  him,  if  you  have  no  reverence  for  him,  no  sym- 
pathy with  his  Son,  you  will  be  speech] ess  before  his 
bar. 

Lastly,  the  reason  why  he  was  speechless  was  because, 
even  if  he  could  have  spoken  and  been  free  from  terror, 
tJiere  ivas  nothing  to  be  said.  He  could  not  cry,  ^'  Lord, 
I  did  not  know  it."  He  saw  all  the  rest  with  wedding 
garments  on.  He  could  not  say,  "  Lord,  I  could  not  get 
a  wedding  garment "  :  each  one  had  received  a  garment 
gratis,  and  he  might  have  received  the  same.  He  could 
not  say,  "Lord,  I  was  pushed  in  here  by  somebody 
else."     No,  he  had  willingly  chosen  to  come,  and  to  defy 


210  W/JAT  IS   THE    WEDDING   GARMENT? 

the  rule  The  guests  had  all  looked  at  him  :  some  had 
edged  a  little  waj  off  from  him.  Some  had  tenderly 
said,  ^^  Brother,  will  you  not  put  on  the  wedding  gar- 
ment %  "  He  answered,  "  No,"  ^'  Will  you  not  go  out 
before  the  king  comes  in  ?  "  ^^  Why,''  he  said,  ^^  I  came 
on  purpose  to  defy  him.  I  mean  to  keep  my  place."  I 
do  not  wonder  that  the  king  said,  ^^  Bind  him  hand  and 
foot,  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness  ;  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
says  very  strong  things  about  the  future  of  the  wicked. 
I  have  been  accused  of  representing  the  state  of  the  lost 
in  too  horrible  a  manner.  I  have  never  gone  beyond 
the  dreadful  descriptions  given  by  our  Lord  himself. 
Do  not  risk  your  eternal  future.  Come  to  the  church  of 
God  and  join  it,  but  do  not  join  it  unless  you  love  the 
Lord.  Do  not  come  to  the  gospel  feast  unless  you  rev- 
erence the  King  5  unless  you  love  the  Prince  ;  unless  you 
are  in  sympathy  with  the  great  work  of  grace  which  is 
pictured  as  a  wedding  feast.  If  you  have  sympathy  with 
the  wedding,  love  to  the  bridegroom,  and  delight  in  the 
bride,  then  come  and  welcome ;  for  you  have  the  wed- 
ding garment.  I  am  thinking  just  now  of  all  those 
other  hundreds  of  people  at  the  wedding,  all  of  them 
clothed  with  the  wedding  garment.  What  joy  they  felt ! 
Many  had  been  bad,  and  all  had  been  poor :  but  they  all 
had  the  wedding  garment,  and  not  one  of  them  was  cast 
out.  If  you  will  but  put  your  trust  in  Jesus,  and  so 
honor  the  Son  ;  and  rest  in  the  love  of  the  Father,  and 
so  honor  the  King,  it  is  written,  ^^  Him  that  cometh  to 
me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  God  bless  you  for  Jesus 
sake !     Amen. 


"  LET   HIM   DELIVER   HIM   NOW.'^ 

Ju7W  17,  1888. 

''He  trusted  in  God;  let  Mm  deliver  him  now,  if  lie  will  have 
him  ;  for  he  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God." -Matthew  xxvii.  43. 

These  words  are  a  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  contained 
in  the  twenty-second  Psalm.  Read  from  the  seventh 
verse — ^^  All  they  that  see  me  laugh  me  to  scorn  :  they 
shoot  out  the  lip,  they  shake  the  head,  saying,  He  trusted 
on  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him  :  let  him  deliver 
him,  seeing  he  delighted  in  him."  Thus  to  the  letter 
doth  our  Lord  answer  to  the  ancient  prophecy. 

It  is  very  painful  to  the  heart  to  picture  our  blessed 
Master  in  his  death-agonies,  surrounded  by  a  ribald  mul- 
titude, who  watched  him  and  mocked  him,  made  sport  of 
his  prayer  and  insulted  his  faith.  Nothing  was  sacred 
to  them ;  they  invaded  the  Holy  of  holies  of  his  confi- 
dence in  God,  and  taunted  him  concerning  that  faith  in 
Jehovah  which  they  were  compelled  to  admit.  See,  dear 
friends,  what  an  evil  thing  is  sin,  since  the  Sin-bearer 
suff'ers  so  bitterly  to  make  atonement  for  it !  See,  also, 
the  shame  of  sin,  since  even  the  Prince  of  Glory,  when 
bearing  the  consequences  of  it,  is  covered  with  contempt ! 
Behold,  also,  how  he  loved  us  !  For  our  sake  he  "  en- 
dured th^  cross,  despising  the  shame."  He  loved  us  so 
much  that  even  scorn  of  the  most  cruel  sort  he  deigned 
211 


212  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:' 

to  bear,  tliat  he  might  take  away  our  shame  and  enable 
us  to  look  up  unto  God. 

Beloved,  the  treatment  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by 
men  is  the  clearest  proof  of  total  depravity  which  can 
possibly  be  required  or  discovered.  Those  must  be  stony 
hearts  indeed  which  can  laugh  at  a  dying  Saviour,  and 
mock  even  at  his  faith  in  God  !  Compassion  would  seem 
to  have  deserted  humanity,  while  malice  sat  supreme  on 
the  throne.  Painfid  as  the  picture  is,  it  will  do  you  good 
to  paint  it.  You  will  need  neither  canvas,  nor  brush, 
nor  palette,  nor  colors.  Let  your  thoughts  draw  the  out- 
line, and  your  love  fill  in  the  detail ;  I  shall  not  complain 
if  imagination  heightens  the  coloring.  The  Son  of  God, 
whom  angels  adore  with  veiled  faces,  is  pointed  at  with 
scornful  fingers  by  men  who  thrust  out  the  tongue  and 
mockingly  exclaim,  ^^  He  trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he 
would  deliver  him :  let  him  deliver  him,  seeing  he  de- 
lighted in  him.'^ 

While  thus  we  see  our  Lord  in  his  sorrow  and  his 
shame  as  our  substitute,  we  must  not  forget  that  he  also 
is  there  as  our  representative.  That  which  appears  in 
many  a  psalm  to  relate  to  David  is  found  in  the  Gospels 
to  refer  to  Jesus,  our  Lord.  Often  and  often  the  student 
of  the  psalms  will  say  to  himself,  ^^  Of  whom  speaketh  the 
prophet  this  ?  "  He  will  have  to  disentangle  the  threads 
sometimes,  and  mark  off"  that  which  belongs  to  David  and 
that  which  relates  to  the  Son  of  God ;  and  frequently  he 
will  not  be  able  to  disentangle  the  threads  at  all,  because 
they  are  one,  and  may  relate  both  to  David,  and  to 
David's  Lord.  This  is  meant  to  show  us  that  the  life  of 
Christ  is  an  epitome  of  the  life  of  his  people.  He  not 
only  suffers  for  us  as  our  substitute,  but  he  suflG^rs  before 
us  as  our  pattern.     In  him  we  see  what  we  have  in  our 


"Z^r  IIIM  DELIVER   IIIM  A'OIF."  213 

measure  to  endure.  "  As  he  is^  so  arc  we  also  in  this 
world."  AVe  also  must  be  crucified  to  the  world,  and  we 
may  look  for  somewhat  of  those  tests  of  faith  and  taunts 
of  derision  which  go  with  such  a  crucifixion.  "  Marvel 
not  if  the  world  hate  you."  You,  too,  must  suffer  with- 
out the  gate.  Not  for  the  world's  redemption,  but  for 
the  accomplishment  of  divine  purposes  in  you,  and 
through  you  to  the  sons  of  men,  you  must  be  made  to 
know  the  cross  and  its  shame.  Christ  is  the  mirror  of 
the  church.  What  the  head  endured  every  member  of 
the  body  will  also  have  to  endure  in  its  measure.  Let  us 
read  the  text  in  this  light,  and  come  to  it  saying  to  our- 
selves, ^^  Here  we  see  what  Jesus  suffered  in  our  stead, 
and  we  learn  hereby  to  love  him  with  all  our  souls.  Here 
too,  we  see,  as  in  a  prophecy,  how  great  things  we  are  to 
suffer  for  his  sake  at  the  hands  of  men."  May  the  Holy 
Spirit  help  us  in  our  meditation,  so  that  at  the  close  of  it 
we  may  more  ardently  love  our  Lord,  who  suffered  for 
us,  and  may  the  more  carefully  arm  ourselves  with  the 
same  mind  which  enabled  him  to  endure  such  contra- 
diction of  sinners  against  himself. 

Coming  at  once  to  the  text,  first,  observe  the  achiowledg- 
ment  with  which  the  text  begins :  "  He  trusted  in  God." 
The  enemies  of  Christ  admitted  his  faith  in  God.  Sec- 
ondly, consider  the  test  ivhich  is  the  essence  of  the  taunt : 
"  Let  him  deliver  him,  if  he  will  have  him."  When  we 
have  taken  those  two  things  into  our  minds,  then  let  us 
for  a  while  consider  the  answer  to  that  test  and  taunt : 
God  does  assuredly  deliver  his  people  :  those  who  trust 
in  him  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  their  faith. 

I.  First,  then,  my  beloved  brethren,  you  who  know 
the  Lord  by  faith  and  live  by  trusting  in  him,  let  me  in- 
vite you  to  OBSERVE  THE   ACKNOWLEDGMENT  which  these 


214  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW.'' 

mockers  made  of  our  Lord's  faith  :  "He  trusted  in  God." 
Yet  the  Saviour  did  not  wear  any  peculiar  garb  or  token 
by  which  he  let  men  know  that  he  trusted  in  God.  He 
was  not  a  recluse,  neither  did  he  join  some  little  knot  of 
separatists,  who  boasted  their  peculiar  trust  in  Jehovah. 
Although  our  Saviour  was  separate  from  sinners,  yet  he 
was  eminently  a  man  among  men,  and  he  went  in  and 
out  among  the  multitude  as  one  of  themselves.  His  one 
peculiarity  was  that  "  he  trusted  in  God."  He  was  so 
perfectly  a  man  that,  although  he  was  undoubtedly  a  Jew, 
there  were  no  Jewish  peculiarities  about  him.  Any 
nation  might  claim  him ;  but  no  nation  could  monopolize 
him.  The  characteristics  of  our  humanity  are  so  palpa- 
bly about  him  that  he  belongs  to  all  mankind.  I  admire 
the  Welch  sister  who  was  of  opinion  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
must  be  Welch.  When  they  asked  her  how  she  proved 
it,  she  said  that  he  always  spoke  to  her  heart  in  Welch. 
Doubtless  it  was  so,  and  I  can,  with  equal  warmth,  de- 
clare that  he  always  speaks  to  me  in  English.  Brethren 
from  Germany,  France,  Sweden,  Italy — you  all  claim 
that  he  speaks  to  you  in  your  own  tongue.  This  was  the 
one  thing  which  distinguished  him  among  men — "  he 
trusted  in  God,"  and  he  lived  such  a  life  as  naturally 
grows  out  of  faith  in  the  Eternal  Lord.  This  peculiarity 
had  been  visible  even  to  that  ungodly  multitude  who 
least  of  all  cared  to  perceive  a  spiritual  point  of  charac- 
ter. Was  ever  any  other  upon  a  cross  thus  saluted  by 
the  mob  who  watched  his  execution?  Had  these  scorners 
ever  mocked  any  one  before  for  such  a  matter  as  this  %  I 
trow  not.  Yet  faith  had  been  so  manifest  in  our  Lord's 
daily  life  that  the  crowd  cried  out  aloud,  "  He  trusted  in 
God." 

How  did  they  know  ?     I  suppose  they  could  not  help 


''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:'  215 

seeing  that  he  made  much  of  God  in  his  teaching,  in  his 
life,  and  in  his  miracles.  Whenever  Je^s  spoke  it  was 
always  godly  talk ;  and  if  it  was  not  always  distinctly 
about  God,  it  was  always  about  things  that  related  to 
God,  that  came  from  God,  that  led  to  God,  that  magni- 
fied God.  A  man  may  be  fairly  judged  by  that  which 
he  makes  most  of.  The  ruling  passion  is  a  fair  gauge 
of  the  heart.  What  a  soul-ruler  faith  is  !  It  sways  the 
man  as  the  rudder  guides  the  ship.  When  a  man  once 
gets  to  live  by  faith  in  God,  it  tinctures  his  thoughts,  it 
masters  his  purposes,  it  flavors  his  words,  it  puts  a  tone 
into  his  actions,  and  it  comes  out  in  everything  by  ways 
and  means  most  natural  and  unconstrained,  till  men  per- 
ceive that  they  have  to  do  wdth  a  man  who  makes  much 
of  God.  The  unbelieving  world  says  outright  that  there 
is  no  God,  and  the  less  impudent,  who  admit  his  exist- 
ence, put  him  down  at  a  very  Ioav  figure,  so  low  that  it 
does  not  affect  their  calculations  ;  but  to  the  true  Chris- 
tian, God  is  not  only  much,  but  all.  To  our  Lord  Jesus, 
God  was  all  in  all ;  and  when  you  come  to  estimate  God 
as  he  did,  then  the  most  careless  onlooker  will  soon  begin 
to  say  of  you,  ^^  He  trusted  in  God." 

In  addition  to  observing  that  Jesus  made  much  of 
God,  men  came  to  note  that  he  was  a  trusting  man,  and 
not  self-confident.  Certain  persons  are  very  proud  be- 
cause they  are  self-made  men.  I  will  do  them  the  credit 
to  admit  that  they  heartily  worship  their  maker.  Self 
made  them,  and  they  worship  self.  We  have  among  us 
individuals  who  are  self-sufiicient,  and  almost  all-suffi- 
cient ;  they  sneer  at  those  who  do  not  succeed,  for  they 
can  succeed  anywhere  at  anything.  The  world  to  them 
is  a  football  which  they  can  kick  where  they  like.  If 
they  do  not  rise  to  the  very  highest  eminence  it  is  simply 


216  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW^ 

out  of  pity  to  the  rest  of  us,  who  ought  to  have  a  chance. 
A  vat  of  suffi^ncj  ferments  Avithin  their  ribs  !  There 
was  nothing  of  that  S(;rt  of  thing  in  oui'  Lord.  Those 
who  watched  him  did  not  say  that  he  had  great  self- 
reliance  and  a  noble  spirit  of  self-confidence.  Ko,  no  ! 
They  said,  "He  trusted  in  God."  Indeed  it  was  so. 
The  words  that  he  spake  he  spake  not  of  lam  self,  and 
the  great  deeds  that  he  did  he  never  boasted  of,  but  said, 
*^  the  Father  that  dwelleth  in  me,  he  doeth  the  works." 
He  was  a  truster  in  God,  not  a  boaster  in  self.  Brethren 
and  sisters,  I  desire  that  you  and  I  may  be  just  of  that 
order.  Self-confidence  is  the  death  of  confidence  in  God  ; 
reliance  upon  talent,  tact,  experience,  and  things  of  that 
kind,  kills  faith.  Oh  that  we  may  know  what  faith 
means,  and  so  look  out  of  ourselves  and  quit  the  evil 
confidence  which  looks  within  ! 

On  the  other  hand,  we  may  wisely  remember  that, 
while  our  Lord  Jesus  was  not  self-reliant,  he  trusted j  and 
was  by  no  means  despondent :  he  was  never  discouraged. 
He  neither  questioned  his  commission,  nor  despaired  of 
fulfilling  it.  He  never  said,  "  I  must  give  it  up  :  I  can 
never  succeed."  No  ;  "  He  trusted  in  God."  And  this 
is  a  grand  point  in  the  working  of  faith,  that  while  it 
keeps  us  from  self-conceit,  it  equally  preserves  us  from 
enfeebling  fear.  When  our  blessed  Lord  set  his  face 
like  a  flint  ;  when,  being  baffled,  he  returned  to  the  con- 
flict ;  when,  being  betrayed,  he  still  persevered  in  his 
love,  then  men  could  not  help  seeing  that  he  trusted  in 
God.  His  faith  was  not  mere  repetition  of  a  creed,  or 
profession  of  belief,  but  it  was  childlike  reliance  upon 
the  Most  High.     May  ours  be  of  the  same  order  ! 

It  is  evident  that  the  Lord  Jesus  trusted  in  God  cpenltf, 
since  even  yonder  gibing  crowd  proclaim  it.     Some  good 


^^  LET  IIIM  DELIVER  HIM  now:'  217 

people  try  to  exercise  faith  on  the  sly  :    they  practice  it 
ill  snug  corners,  and  in  lonely  hours,  but  they  are  afraid 
to  say  much  before  others,  for  fear  their  faith  should   not 
see    the   promised   fulfilled.     They    dare  not   say,  with 
David,    "  My  soul   shall   make  her   boast  in  the  Lord : 
the    humble    shall    hear   thereof,    and   be    glad."     This 
secrecy  robs   God   of  his   honor.     Brethren,  we   do  not 
glorify  our  God  as  he  ought  to  be  gloriiied.     Let  us  trust 
in  him,  and  own  it.     Wherefore  should  we  be  ashamed  % 
Let  us  throw  doAvn  the  gauge  of  battle  to  earth  and  hell. 
God,  the  true  and  faithfid,  deserves  to  be  trusted  with- 
out limit.     Trust  your  all  with  him,  and  be  not  ashamed 
of  having  done  so.     Our   Saviour  was   not  ashamed  of 
trusting  in   his   God.     On  the   cross  he  cried,    "  Thou 
didst   make   me   hope   when  I   was   upon   my   mother's 
breast."     Jesus  lived  by   faith.     We   are    sure  that  he 
did,  for  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews   he  is   quoted  as 
saying,  ^'  I  will  put  my  trust  in  him."     If  so  glorious  a 
personage  as  the  only -begotten  Son  of  God  lived  here  by 
faith  in  God,  how  are  you  and  I  to   live  except  by  trust 
in  God  %     If  we  live  unto  God,  this  is  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  our  spiritual  life  :    ^^  the  just  shall  live  by  faith." 
Shall  we   be   ashamed  of  that  which   brings  life  to   us  ? 
The  cruel  ones  Avho  saw  Jesus  die  did  not  say,  "  He  now 
and  then  trusted  in  God"  ;  nor  "  He  trusted  in  the  Lord 
years  ago "  ;  but   they  admitted  that  faith   in   God  was 
the  constant  tenor  of  his  life  :   they  could   not    deny  it. 
Even  though,  with  malicious  cruelty,  they  turned  it  into 
a  taunt,  yet  they  did  not   cast   a  question  upon  the  fact 
that  '•''  he  trusted  in   God."     Oh,  I  want    you  so   to  live 
that  those  who  dislike  you  most  may,  nevertheless,  know 
that  you  do  trust  in  God.     When   you  come  to  die,  may 
yoiu'  dear  children   say  of  you,    "  Our  dear  mother  did 


218  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:' 

trust  in  the  Lord  "  !  May  that  boy  who  has  goiie  furth« 
est  away  from  Christ,  and  grieved  your  heart  the  most, 
nevertheless  say  in  his  heart,  "  There  may  be  hypocrites 
in  the  world,  but  my  dear  father  does  truly  trust  in 
God  !  "  Oh,  that  our  faith  may  be  known  unmistaka- 
bly !  We  do  not  wish  it  to  be  advertised  to  our  own 
honor.  That  be  far  from  our  minds.  But  yet  we  would 
have  it  knoTvii,  that  others  may  be  encouraged,  and  that 
God  may  be  glorified.  If  nobody  else  trusts  in  God,  let 
us  do  so  ;  and  thus  may  we  uplift  a  testimony  to  the 
honor  of  his  faithfulness.  When  we  die,  may  this  be 
our  epitaph — "  He  trusted  in  God." 

David,  in  the  twenty-second  Psalm,  represents  the 
enemies  as  saying  of  our  Lord — '^  He  trusted  on  the 
Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him."  This  practical  faith  is 
£>ure  to  be  known  wherever  it  is  in  operation,  because  it 
is  exceedingly  rare.  Multitudes  of  people  have  a  kind 
of  faith  in  God,  but  it  does  not  come  to  the  practical 
point  of  trusting  that  God  will  deliver  them.  I  see  upon 
the  newspaper  placards,  ^^  Startling  News !  People  in 
the  Planets ! "  Not  a  very  practical  discovery.  For 
many  a  day  there  has  been  a  tendency  to  refer  God's 
promises  and  our  faith  to  the  planets,  or  somewhere  be- 
yond this  present  every-day  life.  We  say  to  ourselves, 
^^  Oh  yes,  God  delivers  his  people."  We  mean  that  he 
did  so  in  the  days  of  Moses,  and  possibly  he  may  be  do- 
ing so  now  in  some  obscure  island  of  the  sea.  Ah  me  ! 
The  glory  of  faith  lies  in  its  being  fit  for  every-day 
wear.  Can  it  be  said  of  you,  "  He  trusted  in  God,  that 
he  woidd  deliver  him  "  ?  Have  you  faith  of  the  kind 
which  will  make  you  lean  upon  the  Lord  in  poverty,  in 
sickness,  in  bereavement,  in  persecution,  in  slander,  in 
contempt  ?     Have  you  a  trust  in  God  to  bear  you  up  in 


^^LET  HIM  DELIVER  IIIM  NOW:'  219 

holy  living  at  all  costs,  and  in  active  service,  even  be- 
yond your  strength  ?  Can  you  trust  in  God  definitely 
about  this  and  that  %  Can  you  trust  about  food,  and 
raiuient,  and  home  %  Can  you  trust  God  even  about 
your  shoes,  that  they  shall  be  iron  and  brass,  and  about 
the  hairs  of  your  head  that  they  are  all  numbered  % 
What  we   need  is  less  theory  and  more  actual  trust  in 

God. 

The  faith  of  the  text  was  personal :  "  that  he  would 
deliver  him:^  Blessed  is  that  faith  which  can  reach  its 
arm  of  compassion  aroimd  the  world,  but  that  faith  must 
begin  at  home.  Of  what  use  were  the  longest  arm  if  it 
were  not  fixed  to  the  man  himself  at  the  shoulder  ?  If 
you  have  no  faith  about  yourself,  what  faith  can  you 
have  about  others  ?  ''  He  trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he 
would  deliver  him."  Come,  beloved,  have  you  such  a 
faith  in  the  living  God  f  Do  you  trust  in  God  through 
Christ  Jesus  that  he  will  save  you  I  Yes,  you  poor  un- 
worthy one,  the  Lord  will  deliver  you  if  you  trust  him. 
Yes,  poor  woman,  or  unknown  man,  the  Lord  can  help 
you  in  your  present  trouble,  and  in  every  other,  and  he 
will  do  so  if  you  trust  him  to  that  end.  May  the  Holy 
Spirit  lead  you  to  first  trust  the  Lord  Jesus  for  the  par- 
don of  sin,  and  then  to  trust  in  God  for  all  things. 

Let  us  pause  a  minute.  Let  a  man  trust  in  God; 
not  in  fiction,  but  in  fact,  and  he  will  find  that  he  has  the 
solid  rock  under  his  feet.  Let  him  trust  about  his  own 
daily  needs  and  trials,  and  rest  assured  that  the  Lord 
will  actually  appear  for  him,  and  he  will  not  be  disap- 
pointed. Such  a  trust  in  God  is  a  very  reasonable  thing, 
its  absence  is  most  unreasonable.  If  there  be  a  God,  he 
knows  all  about  my  case.  If  he  made  my  ear,  he  can 
hear  me  ;  if  he  made  my  eye  he  can  see  me ;  and  there- 


220  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:' 

fore  he  perceives  my  condition.  If  he  be  my  Father,  as 
he  says  he  is,  he  Avill  certainly  care  for  me,  and  will  help 
me  in  my  hour  of  need,  if  he  can.  We  are  sure  that  he 
can,  for  he  is  omnipotent.  Is  there  anything  unreason- 
able, then,  in  trusting  in  God  that  ho  will  deliver  us  % 
I  venture  to  say  that  if  all  the  forces  in  the  miiverse 
were  put  together,  and  all  the  kindly  intents  of  all  who 
are  our  friends  were  put  together,  and  we  were  then  to 
rely  upon  those  miited  forces  and  intents,  we  should  not 
have  a  thousandth  part  so  much  justification  for  our  con- 
fidence as  when  we  depend  upon  God,  whose  intents 
and  forces  are  infinitely  greater  than  those  of  all  the 
world  beside.  ^^It  is  better  to  trust  in  the  Lord  than  to 
put  confidence  in  man ;  it  is  better  to  trust  in  the  Lord 
than  to  put  confidence  in  princes.^'  If  you  view  things 
in  the  white  light  of  pure  reason,  it  is  infinitely  more  rea- 
sonable to  ti^ust  in  the  living  God  than  in  all  his  creat- 
ures put  together. 

Certainly,  dear  friends,  it  is  extremely  comfortable  to 
trust  in  God.  I  find  it  so,  and  therefore  speak.  To 
roll  your  burden  upon  the  Lord,  since  he  will  sustain 
you,  is  a  blessed  way  of  being  quit  of  care.  We  knov/ 
him  to  be  faithful,  and  as  powerful  as  he  is  faithful  j  and 
our  dependence  upon  him  is  the  solid  foundation  of  a 
profound  peace. 

While  it  is  comfortable,  it  is  also  'uplifting.  If  you 
trust  in  men,  the  best  of  men,  you  are  likely  to  be  low- 
ered by  your  trust.  We  are  apt  to  cringe  before  those 
who  j)atronize  us.  If  your  prosperity  depends  upon  a 
person's  smile,  you  are  tempted  to  pay  homage  even 
when  it  is  undeserved.  The  old  saying  mentions  a  cer- 
tain person  as  ^^  knowing  on  which  side  his  bread  is  but- 
tered."    Thousands    are  practically    degraded  by  their 


''LET  HIM  DELIVER  IILM  NOW.''  221 

trusting  in  men.  But  when  our  reliance  is  upon  the 
living  God,  we  are  raised  by  it,  and  elevated  both  mor- 
ally and  spiritually.  You  may  bow  in  deepest  reverence 
before  God,  and  yet  there  will  be  no  fawning.  You  may 
lie  in  the  dust  before  the  Majesty  of  heaven,  and  yet  not 
be  dishonored  by  your  humility ;  in  fact,  it  is  our  great- 
ness to  be  nothing  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  High. 

This  confidence  in  God  makes  men  strong.  I  should 
advise  the  enemy  not  to  oppose  the  man  who  trusts  in 
God.  In  the  long  run  he  will  be  beaten,  as  Haman 
found  it  with  ]\Iordecai.  He  had  been  warned  of  this  by 
Zeresh,  his  wife,  and  his  wise  men,  who  said,  ''  If  Mor- 
decai  be  of  the  seed  of  the  Jcavs,  before  whom  thou  hast 
begun  to  fall,  thou  shalt  not  prevail  against  him,  but 
shalt  surely  fall  before  him.'^  Contend  not  with  a  man 
who  has  God  at  his  back.  Years  ago,  the  Mentonese 
desired  to  break  away  from  the  dominion  of  the  Prince 
of  Monaco.  They  therefore  drove  out  his  agent.  The 
prince  came  with  his  army,  not  a  very  great  one,  it  is 
true,  but  still  formidable  to  the  Mentonese.  I  know  not 
what  the  high  and  mighty  princeling  was  not  going  to 
do ;  but  news  came  that  the  King  of  Sardinia  was  com- 
ing up  in  the  rear  to  help  the  Mentonese,  and  therefore 
his  lordship  of  Monaco  very  prudently  retired  to  his  own 
rock.  When  a  believer  stands  out  against  evil  he  may 
bo  sure  that  the  lord  of  hosts  will  not  be  far  away.  The 
enemy  shall  hear  the  dash  of  his  horse-hoof  and  the  blast 
of  his  trumpet,  and  shall  flee  before  him.  Wherefore  be 
of  good  courage,  and  compel  the  world  to  say  of  you, 
"  He  trusted  in  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him." 

II.  Secondly,  I  want  you  to  follow  me  briefly  in  con- 
sidering THE  TEST  WHICH  IS  THE  ESSENCE  OF  THE 
TAUNT  which   was   hurled  by  the  mockers  agamst    our 


222  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOWy 

Lord — ''''  Let  Lim  deliver  him  now,  if  lie  will  have  him." 
Such  a  test  will  come  to  all  believers.  It  may  come  as 
a  tamit  from  enemies  ;  it  will  certainly  come  as  a  trial 
of  your  faith.  The  arch-enemy  will  assuredly  hiss  out 
^^  Let  him  deliver  him,  seeing  he  delighted  in  him." 

This  taunt  has  about  it  the  appearance  of  being  very  log-  ' 
ical,  and  indeed  in  a  measure  so  it  is.  If  God  has  prom- 
ised to  deliver  us,  and  we  have  openly  professed  to  be- 
lieve the  promise,  it  is  only  natural  that  others  should 
say,  "  Let  us  see  whether  he  does  deliver  him.  This 
man  believes  that  the  Lord  will  help  him  ;  and  he  must 
help  him,  or  else  the  man's  faith  is  a  delusion."  This  is 
the  sort  of  test  to  which  we  ourselves  would  have  put 
others  before  our  conversion,  and  we  cannot  object  to  be 
proved  in  the  same  manner  ourselves.  Perhaps  we  in- 
cline to  run  away  from  the  ordeal,  but  this  very  shrinking 
shoidd  be  a  solemn  call  to  us  to  question  the  genuineness 
of  that  faith  which  we  are  afraid  to  test.  ^^  He  trusted 
on  the  Lord,"  says  the  enemy,  '^  that  he  would  deliver 
him :  let  him  deliver  him  ; "  and  surely,  however  mali- 
cious the  design,  there  is  no  escaping  from  the  logic  of 
the  challenge. 

It  is  peculiarly  painful  to  have  this  stern  inference 
driven  home  to  you  in  the  hour  of  sorrow.  Because  one 
cannot  deny  the  fairness  of  the  appeal,  it  is  all  the  more 
trying.  In  the  time  of  depression  of  spirit  it  is  hard  to 
have  one's  faith  questioned,  or  the  ground  on  which  it 
stands  made  a  matter  of  dispute.  Either  to  be  mistaken 
in  one's  belief,  or  to  have  no  real  faith,  or  to  find  the 
ground  of  one's  faith  fail,  is  an  exceedingly  grievous 
thing.  Yet,  as  our  Lord  was  not  spared  this  painful  or- 
deal, we  must  not  expect  to  be  kept  clear  of  it,  and  Satan 
knows  well  how  to  work  these  questions,  till  the  poison 


''LET  IlIM  DELIVER  11 IM  NOW:'  223 

of  them  sets  tlic  blood  on  fire.  "  fie  trusted  on  the  Lord 
that  he  would  deliver  him ;  let  him  deliver  him ; "  he 
hurls  this  fierj  dart  into  the  soul,  till  the  man  is  sorely 
wounded,  and  can  scarcely  hold  his  ground. 

The  taunt  is  specially  ^om^edf  and  personal.  It  is  put 
thus:  ^^ He  trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver 
him  :  let  him  deliver  him  ;  "  "  Do  not  come  to  us  with 
your  fiddle-faddle  about  God's  helping  all  his  chosen, 
Here  is  a  man  who  is  one  of  his  people,  will  he  help 
him  f  Do  not  tolk  to  us  big  things  about  Jehovah  at  the 
Red  Sea,  or  in  the  Desert  of  Sinai,  or  God  helping  his 
people  in  ages  past.  Here  is  a  living  man  before  us  who 
trusted  in  God  that  he  would  deliver  him  :  let  him  de- 
liver him  now."  You  know  how  Satan  will  pick  out  one 
of  the  most  afflicted,  and  pointing  his  fingers  at  him  will 
cry,  '''  Let  him  deliver  HIM.'^  Brethren,  the  test  is  fair. 
God  will  be  true  to  every  believer.  If  any  one  child  of 
God  could  be  lost,  it  would  be  quite  enough  to  enable  the 
devil  to  spoil  all  the  glory  of  God  for  ever.  If  one  prom- 
ise of  God  to  one  of  his  people  should  fail,  that  one  fail- 
ure would  suffice  to  mar  the  veracity  of  the  Lord  to  all 
eternity;  they  would  publish  it  in  the  ^'Diabolical  Ga- 
zette," and  in  every  street  of  Tophet  they  woidd  howl  it 
out,  ^'  God  has  failed.  God  has  broken  his  promise. 
God  has  ceased  to  be  faithfid  to  his  people."  It  would 
then  be  a  horrible  reproach — '^  He  trusted  in  God  to  de- 
liver him,  but  he  did  not  deliver  him." 

Much  emphasis  lies  in  its  being  in  the  present  tense: 
*^He  trusted  in  God  that  he  woidd  deliver  him :  let  him 
deliver  him  now.^^  I  see  Thee,  O  Lord  Jesus,  thou  art 
not  now  in  the  wilderness,  where  the  fiend  is  saying,  ''If 
thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  be 
made  bread."     Ko.     Thou  art  nailed  to  the  tree  ;  thine 


224  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:' 

enemies  have  hemmed  thee  in.  The  legionaries  of  Rome 
are  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  and 
raging  Jews  compass  thee  about.  There  is  no  escape 
from  death  for  thee!  Hence  their  cry — ''Let  him  de- 
liver him  nowP  Ah,  brothers  and  sisters  !  this  is  how 
Satan  assails  us,  using  our  present  and  pressing  tribula- 
tions as  the  barbs  of  his  arrows.  Yet  here  also  there  is 
reason  and  logic  in  the  challenge. 

If  God  does  not  deliver  his  servants  at  one  time  as 
well  as  another,  he  has  not  kept  his  promise.  For  a  man 
of  truth  is  always  true,  and  a  promise  once  given  always 
stands.  A  promise  cannot  be  broken  now  and  then,  and 
yet  the  honor  of  the  person  giving  it  be  maintained  by 
his  keeping  it  at  other  times.  The  word  of  a  true  man 
stands  always  good  :  it  is  good  now.  This  is  logic,  bitter 
logic,  cold  steel  logic,  logic  which  seems  to  cut  right  down 
your  backbone  and  cleave  your  chine.  ''  He  trusted  on 
the  Lord  that  he  woidd  deliver  him :  let  him  deliver  him 
now."  Yet  this  hard  logic  can  be  turned  to  comfort.  I 
told  you  a  story  the  other  day  of  the  brother  in  Guy's 
Hospital  to  whom  the  doctors  said  he  must  undergo  an 
operation  which  was  extremely  dangerous.  They  gave 
him  a  week  to  consider  whether  he  would  submit  to  it. 
He  was  troubled  for  his  young  wife  and  children,  and  for 
his  work  for  the  Lord.  A  friend  left  a  bunch  of  flowers 
for  him,  with  this  verse  as  its  motto,  ^'  He  trusted  in 
God ;  let  him  deliver  him  now."  "  Yes,"  he  thought 
"  nowP  Li  prayer  he  cast  himself  upon  the  Lord,  and 
felt  in  his  heart,  ''Come  on,  doctors,  I  am  ready  for  you." 
When  the  next  morning  came,  he  refused  to  take  chloro- 
form, for  he  desired  to  go  to  heaven  in  his  senses.  He 
bore  the  operation  manfully,  and  he  is  yet  alive.  ^'  He 
trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him  "  then  and 


^'LFT  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:'  225 

there,  and  the  Lord  did  so.     In  this  lies  the  brunt  of  the 
battle. 

A  Christian  man  may  be  beaten  in  business,  he  may 
fail  to  meet  all  demands,  and  then  Satan  yells,  ^'  Let  him 
deliver  him  noivJ^  Tlie  poor  man  has  been  out  of  work 
for  two  or  three  months,  tramping  the  streets  of  London 
until  he  has  worn  out  his  boots  ;  he  has  been  brought  to 
his  last  penny.  I  think  I  hear  the  laugh  of  the  Prince 
of  Darkness  as  he  cries,  ^^  Let  him  deliver  him  720wJ^ 
Or  else  the  believer  is  very  ill  in  body,  and  low  in  spirit, 
and  then  Satan  howls,  ^^Let  him  deliver  him  notvJ^ 
Some  of  us  have  been  in  very  trying  positions.  We  were 
moved  with  indignation  because  of  deadly  error,  and  we 
spoke  plainly,  but  men  refused  to  hear.  Those  we  relied 
upon  deserted  us ;  good  men  sought  their  own  ease  and 
would  not  march  with  us,  and  we  had  to  bear  testimony 
for  despised  truth  alone,  until  we  were  ourselves  despised 
Then  the  adversary  shouted,  "Let  him  deliver  him  ??o?/'." 
Be  it  so  !  We  do  not  refuse  the  test.  Our  God  whom 
we  serve  will  deliver  us.  We  Avill  not  bow  down  to 
modern  thought  nor  worship  the  image  which  human 
wisdom  has  set  up.  Our  God  is  God  both  of  hills  and  of 
valleys.  He  will  not  fail  his  servants,  albeit  that  for  a 
Avhile  he  forbears  that  he  may  try  their  faith.  We  dare 
accept  the  test,  and  say,  "  Let  him  deliver  us  noiv.^^ 

Beloved  friends,  we  need  not  be  afraid  of  this  taunt  if 
it  is  brought  by  adversaries ;  for,  after  all,  the  test  will 
come  to  us  apart  from  any  malice,  for  it  is  incviiahh.  All 
the  faith  you  have  Avill  be  tried.  I  can  see  you  heaping 
it  up.  How  rich  you  are !  What  a  pile  of  faith ' 
Friend,  you  are  almost  perfect  !  Open  the  furnace  door 
and  put  the  heap  in.  Do  you  shrink  ?  See  how  it 
shrivels  !     Is  there  anything  l:f+  ?     BrinT  hither  a  ma;?- 


226  ''LEI   HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:' 

nifying  glass.  Is  this  all  that  is  left  %  Yes,  this  is  all 
that  remains  of  the  heap.  You  say,  ^^  I  trusted  in  God." 
Yes,  but  you  had  reason  to  cry,  ^'  Lord,  help  my  mibe- 
lief."  Brethren,  we  have  not  a  tithe  of  the  faith  we 
think  we  have.  But  whether  or  not,  all  our  faith  must 
be  tested.  God  builds  no  ships  but  what  he  sends  to 
sea.  In  living,  in  losing,  in  working,  in  weeping,  in 
suiFering,  or  in  striving,  God  will  find  a  fitting  crucible 
for  every  single  grain  of  the  precious  faith  which  he  has 
given  us.  Then  he  will  come  to  us  and  say — You  trust- 
ed in  God  that  he  would  deliver  you,  and  you  shall  be 
delivered  now.  How  you  will  open  your  eyes  as  you  see 
the  Lord's  hand  of  deliverance  !  What  a  man  of  won- 
ders you  will  be  when  you  tell  in  your  riper  years  to  the 
younger  people  how  the  Lord  delivered  you !  Why, 
there  are  some  Christians  I  know  of  who,  like  the  Ancient 
Mariner,  could  detain  even  a  wedding  guest  with  their 
stories  of  God's  wonders  on  the  deep. 

Yes,  the  test  will  come  again  and  again.  May  the 
gibes  of  adversaries  only  make  us  ready  for  the  sterner 
ordeals  of  the  judgment  to  come.  0  my  dear  friends, 
examine  your  religion.  You  have  a  great  deal  of  it, 
some  of  you ;  but  what  of  its  quality  %  Can  your  reli- 
gion stand  the  test  of  poverty,  and  scandal,  and  scorn  % 
Can  it  stand  the  test  of  scientific  sarcasm  and  learned 
contempt?  Will  your  religion  stand  the  test  of  long 
sickness  of  body  and  depression  of  spirit  caused  by  weak- 
ness %  What  are  you  doing  amid  the  common  trials  of 
life?  What  will  you  do  in  the  swellings  of  Jordan? 
Examine  well  your  faith,  since  all  hangs  there.  Some 
of  us  who  have  lain  for  weeks  together,  peering  through 
the  thin  veil  vrhich  parts  us  from  the  unseen,  have  been 
made  to  feel  that  nothing   will   sufiice  us   but  a  promise 


''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW:'  227 

which  will   answer   the   taunt,    "  Let   him    deliver    us 
nowP 

III.  I  shall  finish,  in  the  third  place,  dear  friends,  by 
noticing  the  answer  to  the  test.  God  docs  deliver 
those  who  trust  in  him.  God's  interposition  for  the 
faithfid  is  not  a  dream,  but  a  substantial  reality.  "  Many 
are  the  afflictions  of  the  righteous  :  but  the  Lord  deliv- 
ereth  him  out  of  them  all."  All  history  proves  the  fixith- 
fulness  of  God.  Those  who  trust  God  have  been  in  all 
sorts  of  troubles  ;  but  they  have  always  been  delivered. 
They  have  been  bereaved.  What  a  horrible  bereave- 
ment was  that  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  Aaron,  when  his 
two  sons  were  struck  dead  for  their  profanity  in  the 
presence  of  God  !  ^^  And  Aaron  held  his  peace "  ! 
What  grace  was  there  !  Thus  will  the  Lord  sustain  you 
also,  shoidd  he  take  away  the  desire  of  your  eyes  with  a 
stroke.  Grave  after  grave  has  the  good  man  visited,  till 
it  seemed  that  his  whole  race  was  buried,  and  yet  his 
heart  has  not  been  broken  ;  but  he  has  bowed  his  soul 
before  the  will  of  the  ever-blessed  One.  Thus  has  the 
Lord  delivered  his  afflicted  one  by  sustaining  him.  In 
other  ways  the  bush  has  burned,  and  yet  has  not  been 
consumed.  Eem ember  the  midtiplied  and  multiform 
trials  of  Job.  Yet  God  sustained  him  to  the  end,  so  that 
he  did  not  charge  God  foolishly,  but  held  fast  his  faith  in 
the  Most  High.  If  ever  you  are  called  to  the  afflictions 
of  Job,  you  will  also  be  called  to  the  sustaining  grace  of 
Job.  Some  of  God's  servants  have  been  defeated  in 
tlieir  testimony.  They  have  borne  faithfid  witness  for 
God,  but  they  have  been  rejected  of  men.  It  has  been 
their  lot,  like  Cassandra,  to  prophesy  the  truth,  but  not 
to  be  believed.  Such  was  Jeremiah,  who  was  born  to  a 
heritage  of  scorn  from  those  whose  benefit  he   sought. 


228  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOW.'' 

Yet  he  was  delivered.  He  shrank  not  from  being  faith- 
fid.  His  com-age  could  not  be  silenced.  By  integrity 
he  was  delivered. 

Godly  men  have  been  despised  and  misrepresented, 
and  yet  have  been  delivered.  Eemember  David  and  h«is 
envious  brethren,  David  and  the  malignant  Saul,  David 
when  his  men  spake  of  stoning  him.  Yet  he  took  off 
the  giant's  head  ;  yet  he  came  to  the  throne ;  yet  the 
Lord  built  him  a  house. 

Some  of  God's  servants  have  been  bitterly  persecuted, 
but  God  has  delivered  them.  Daniel  came  forth  from 
the  lions'  den,  and  the  three  holy  children  from  the  midst 
of  the  burning  fiery  furnace.  These  are  only  one  or 
two  out  of  millions  who  trusted  God  and  he  delivered 
them.  Out  of  all  manner  of  ill  the  Lord  delivered  them. 
God  brought  this  crowd  of  witnesses  through  all  their 
trials  unto  his  throne,  where  they  rest  with  Jesus,  and 
share  the  triumphs  of  their  Master  at  this  very  day.  O 
my  timid  brother,  nothing  has  happened  to  you  but  what 
is  common  to  men.  Your  battle  is  not  different  from  the 
warfare  of  the  rest  of  the  saints  ;  and  as  God  has  deliv- 
ered them  he  will  deliver  you  also,  seeing  you  put  your 
trust  in  him. 

But  God^s  tvays  of  deliverance  are  his  oivn.  He  does 
not  deliver  according  to  the  translation  put  upon  "  deliv- 
erance "  by  the  ribald  throng.  He  does  not  deliver  ac- 
cording to  the  interpretation  put  upon  "  deliverance  "  by 
our  shrinking  flesh  and  blood.  Pie  delivers,  but  it  is  in 
his  o^vn  way.  Let  me  remark  that,  if  God  delivers  you 
and  me  in  the  same  ivay  as  he  delivered  his  oivn  Son,  ive 
can  have  no  cause  of  complaint.  If  the  deliverance 
which  he  vouchsafed  to  us  is  of  the  same  kind  as  that 
which  he  vouchsafed  to  the  Only  Begotten,  we   may  well 


''LET  HIM  DELIVER  IIIM  NOWy  229 

be  content.  Well,  what  kind  of  a  deliverance  was  that? 
Did  the  Father  tear  up  the  cross  from  the  earth  %  Did 
he  proceed  to  draw  out  the  nails  from  the  sacred  hands 
and  feet  of  his  dear  Son?  Did  he  set  him  down  upon  that 
''green  hill  far  away,  beyond  the  city  wall, '^  and  place 
in  his  hand  a  sword  of  fire  with  which  to  smite  his  adver- 
saries ?  Did  he  bid  the  earth  open  and  swallow  up 
all  his  foes  ?  No  ;  nothing  of  the  kind.  Jehovah  did 
not  interpose  to  spare  his  Son  a  single  pang ;  but  he  let 
him  die.  He  let  him  be  taken  as  a  dead  man  down  from 
the  cross  and  laid  in  a  tomb.  Jesus  went  through  with 
his  suffering  to  the  bitter  end.  O,  brothers  and  sisters, 
this  may  be  God's  way  of  delivering  us.  We  have 
trusted  in  God  that  he  would  deliver  us ;  and  his  render- 
ing of  his  promise  is,  that  he  will  enable  us  to  go  through 
with  it;  we  shall  suffer  to  the  last,  and  triunipli  in  so 
doing. 

Yet  God's  way  of  delivering  those  who  trust  in  him  is 
always  the  lest  ivay.  If  the  Father  had  taken  his  Son 
down  from  the  cross,  what  vrould  have  been  the  result  ? 
Redemption  miaccomplished,  salvation  work  midone,  and 
Jesus  returning  with  his  life-work  unfinished.  This 
would  not  have  been  deliverance,  but  defeat.  It  was 
much  better  for  our  Lord  Jesus  to  die.  Now  he  has' 
paid  the  ransom  for  his  elect,  and  having  accomplished 
the  great  purpose  of  atonement,  he  has  slept  a  while  in 
the  heart  of  the  earth,  and  now  has  ascended  to  his 
throne  in  the  endless  glories  of  he.wen.  It  was  deliver- 
ance of  the  fullest  kind  ;  for  from  the  pangs  of  his  death 
has  come  the  joy  of  life  to  his  redeemed.  It  is  not  God's 
will  that  every  mountain  should  be  levelled,  but  that  we 
shoidd  be  the  stronger  for  cliinbing  the  Hill  Difficulty. 
God  will  deliver  ;  he  must  deliver,   but  he  will  do  it  in 


230  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  JVOJV." 

our  caseSj  as  in  the  case  of  our  Lord,  in  tlie  best  possible 
manner. 

Anyhow,  he  will  deliver  his  chosen  :  the  taunt  of  the 
adversary  shall  not  cause  our  God  to  forget  or  forego 
his  people.  I  know  that  the  Lord  will  no  more  fail  me  than 
any  other  of  his  servants.  He  will  not  leave  a  faithful 
witness  to  his  adversaries.  ^'  I  know  that  my  Avenger 
liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the 
earth  j  and  though  after  my  skin  worms  destroy  this 
body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God :  whom  I  shall  see 
for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another  j 
though  my  reins  be  consumed  within  me."  Is  this  also 
your  confidence  1  Then  do  not  sit  down  in  sorrow,  and 
act  as  though  you  despaired.  Quit  yourselves  like  men. 
Be  strong,  fear  not.  Cast  yourselves  on  the  love  that 
never  changeth  and  never  fainteth,  and  the  Lord  will 
answer  all  the  revilings  of  Rabshakeh,  and  the  blusterings 
of  Sennacherib. 

There  are  times  when  we  may  use  this  text  to  our 
comfort.  ^'  Let  him  deliver  him  now,"  saith  the  text, 
^'if  he  will  have  him."  You,  dear  friends,  who  have 
never  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  before,  how  I 
wish  you  could  try  him  now  !  You  feel  this  morning  full 
of  sin,  and  lull  of  need.  Come,  then,  and  trust  the  Saviour 
noiv.  See  whether  he  will  not  save  you  oiotv.  Is  there 
one  day  in  the  year  in  which  Jesus  cannot  save  a  sinner? 
Come  and  see  whether  the  17th  of  June  is  that  day. 
Try  whether  he  Avill  not  deliver  you  noiv  from  the  guilt, 
the  penalty,  the  power  of  sin.  Why  not  come  ?  You 
have  never,  perhaps,  been  in  the  Tabernacle  before,  and 
when  coming  here  this  morning  3"ou  did  not  think  of 
finding  the    Saviour.      Oh,   that  the   Saviour  may  find 


''LET  /JIM  DELIVER   HIM  NOlVr  231 

you !  Jesus  Christ  is  a  Saviour  every  day,  all  the  year 
round.  Whoever  comcth  to  him  shall  find  eternal  life 
now,  ''''  Oh,"  you  say,  '^  I  am  in  such  an  unfit  state  ;  I 
am  in  all  the  deshabille  of  my  carelessness  and  godless- 
ness."  Come  along,  man,  come  along,  just  as  you  are. 
Tarry  not  foi*  improvement  or  arrangement,  for  both  of 
these  Jesus  will  give  you  ;  come  and  put  your  trust  in  the 
great  Sacrifice  for  sin,  and  he  will  deliver  you — deliver 
you  now.     Lord,  save  the  sinner,  noivl 

Others  of  you  are  the  children  of  God,  but  you  are  in 
peculiar  trouble.  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ? 
You  have  always  trusted  in  God  before ;  are  you  going 
to  doubt  him  now?  ^^  0  my  dear  sir,  you  do  not  know 
m_y  distress  ;  I  am  the  most  afilicted  person  in  the  Tab- 
ernacle." Be  it  so;  but  you  trusted  in  the  Lord  the  past 
twenty  years,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  you  have  seen 
any  just  cause  for  denying  him  your  confidence  now. 
Did  you  say  that  you  have  known  him  from  your  youth 
up  %  What !  you  seventy  years  of  age?  Then  you  are 
too  near  home  to  begin  distrusting  yoiu'  heavenly 
Father.  That  will  never  do.  You  have  been  to  sea, 
and  have  weathered  many  a  storm  in  mid-ocean,  and  are 
you  now  going  to  be  droAvned  in  a  ditch  %  Think  not 
so.  The  Lord  will  deliver  you  even  now.  Do  not  let 
us  suppose  that  we  have  come  where  boundless  love  and 
infinite  Vv^isdom  cannot  reach  us.  Do  not  fancy  that  you 
have  leaped  upon  a  ledge  of  rock  so  high  as  to  be  out  of 
reach  of  the  everlasting  arm.  If  you  had  done  so  I 
would  sttll  cry — Throw  yourself  down  into  the  arms  of 
God,  and  trust  that  he  will  not  let  you  be  destroyed. 

It  may  be  that  some  of  us  are  in  trouble  about  the 
church  and  the  faith.  We  have  defended  God's  truth 
as  well  as  we  could,  and  spoken  out  against  deadly  error  ^ 


232  ''LET  HIM  DELIVER  HIM  NOWV 

but  craft  and  numbers  have  been  against  us,  and  at  pre- 
sent tilings  seem  to  Lave  gone  wrong.  The  good 
are  timid,  and  the  evil  are  false.  They  say,  "  He  trust- 
ed in  God  :  let  him  deliver  him  now."  Sirs,  he  will  de- 
liver us  now.  We  Avill  throw  our  soul  once  more  into 
this  battle,  and  see  if  the  Lord  does  not  vindicate  his 
truth.  If  we  have  not  spoken  in  God's  name  we  are  con- 
tent to  go  back  to  the  dust  from  whence  we  sprang ;  but  if 
we  have  spoken  God's  truth  we  defy  the  whole  confeder- 
acy to  prevail  against  it. 

Peradventure  I  speak  to  some  missionary,  who  is 
mourning  over  a  time  of  great  trial  in  a  mission  which  is 
dear  to  his  heart.  Ah,  dear  friend  !  Christ  intended 
that  the  gospel  should  repeat  his  own  experience,  and 
then  should  triumph  like  himself.  The  gospel  lives 
by  being  killed  and  conquers  by  defeat.  Cast  it  where 
you  will,  it  always  falls  upon  its  feet.  You  need  not  be 
afraid  of  it  under  any  trial.  Just  now,  the  wisdom  of 
man  is  its  worst  foe,  but  the  Lord  will  deliver  it  noiv. 
The  gospel  lives  and  reigns.  Tell  it  out  among  the 
heathen,  that  the  Lord  reigneth  from  the  tree,  and  fi'om 
that  tree  of  the  curse  he  issues  his  supreme  commands. 
The  self-same  day  in  which  Jesus  died,  he  took  with 
him  into  his  kingdom  and  his  inmost  paradise  a  thief 
who  had  hung  at  his  side.  He  liveth  and  reigneth  for 
ever  and  ever,  and  calleth  to  himself  whomsoever  he 
hath  chosen.  Let  us  drown  the  taunts  of  the  adversary 
with  our  shouts  of  Hallelujah  !  The  Lord  shall  reign  for 
ever  and  ever.     Hallelujah.     Amen  ! 


XL 

THE   CHARGE   OF   THE   ANGEL. 

Jul>/  8,  1888. 

''  The  angel  of  the  Lord  by  night  opened  the  prison  doors,  and 
brought  them  forth,  and  said,  Go,  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  to 
the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life." — Acts  v.  19,  20. 

The  second  persecution  of  the  church,  in  which  all  the 
apostles  were  put  into  the  common  prison,  was  mainly 
brought  about  by  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees.  These,  as 
you  know,  were  the  Broad  School,  the  liberals,  the  ad- 
vanced thinkers,  the  modern-thought  people  of  the  day. 
If  you  want  a  bitter  sneer,  a  biting  sarcasm,  or  a  cruel 
action,  I  commend  you  to  these  large-minded  gentlemen. 
They  are  liberal  to  everybody,  except  to  those  who  hold 
the  truth  ;  and  for  those  they  have  a  reserve  of  concen- 
trated bitterness  which  far  excels  wormwood  and  gall. 
They  are  so  liberal  to  their  brother  errorists,  that  they 
have  no  tolerance  to  spare  for  evangelicals.  We  are  ex- 
pressly told  that  ^^  the  high  priest,  and  all  they  that  were 
with  him  (which  is  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees,)  were  filled 
with  indignation."  That  which  had  been  done  deserved 
their  admiration,  but  received  their  indignation.  Such 
gentlemen  as  these  can  be  warm  at  a  very  short  notice, 
when  the  doctrine  of  the  cross  is  spreading,  and  God  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  bearing  witness  with  signs  following.  Let 
them  display  their  indignation,  it  is  according  to  their 
nature. 

(233) 


234  THE   CHARGE   OF   THE  ^INGEL. 

To  tliem  the  only  answer  wliicli  God  gave  was  spoken 
by  his  angel :  "  Go^  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  to 
the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  Argument  will  be 
lost  upon  them  •  go  on  with  your  preaching.  They  have 
lost  the  faculty  of  believing  :  go  and  speak  to  the  people. 
They  are  so  given  over  to  their  doubts,  that  it  is  like 
rolling  the  stone  of  Sisyphus  to  persuade  them  to  faith. 
They  are  so  eaten  up  with  objections,  that  to  attempt  to 
answer  all  the  questions  they  raise  would  be  as  vain  as 
the  labor  of  filling  a  bottomless  tub.  Go  on  with  your 
preaching,  you  apostles  ;  but  address  yourselves  mainly 
to  the  people.  Extend  as  widely  as  possible  the  range 
of  the  truth,  and  thus  answer  the  opposition  of  its  adver- 
saries. It  is  better  to  evangelize  than  to  controvert. 
The  preaching  of  the  word  of  life  is  the  best  antidote  to 
the  doctrine  of  death. 

Clearly  enough,  if  they  had  known  it,  and  had  been 
capable  of  seeing  it,  those  blind  Sadducees  were  answered 
at  every  point  when  the  apostles  were  brought  out  of 
prison  and  bore  witness  to  their  Lord.  Her®  was  the 
creed  of  the  Sadducees  :  they  said  that  '^  there  was  no 
resurrection,  neither  angel,  nor  spirit ;  "  but  these  apos- 
tles stood  up  and  witnessed  to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  dead.  What  did  they  make  of  that  ? 
An  angel  had  come  from  heaven  and  had  brought  these 
apostles  out  of  prison.  Then  there  were  angels.  As 
these  apostles  were  set  free  while  the  sentries  remained 
standing  before  the  doors,  and  those  doors  were  after- 
wards found  fastened,  if  there  were  no  spirit,  assuredly 
materialism  had  acted  in  a  singular  fashion.  Every  item 
of  their  negative  creed  had  been  made  to  fall  like  Dagon 
before  the  ark.  The  Lord  ahvays  arranges  Red  Seas  for 
Pharaohs.     All  that  the  apostles  had  to  do  was  to  go  on 


THE   CHARGE   OF   THE  ANGEL.  235 

with  their  preaching,  and  this  they  did  ;  for  "  daily  in 
the  temple,  and  in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach 
and  preach  Jesus  Christ." 

This  morning  may  Ave  be  profited  while  we  consider 
our  text  and  its  surroundings.  May  he  who  spake  by 
his  angel  now  speak  to  our  hearts  by  his  Spirit. 

I.  In  reviewing  the  whole  story  which  we  read  just 
now,  from  the  seventeenth  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter, 
my   first    thought    is    that    THE  AGENTS  employed  for 

SPREADING     THE     GOSPEL    ARE    MEN,     AND    NOT    ANGELS. 

The  angel  of  the  Lord  opened  the  prison  door  and  set 
free  the  preachers,  but  might  not  be  a  preacher  himself. 
He  might  give  the  ministers  their  charge,  but  he  had  no 
charge  to  preach  himself.  Surely  the  angel  who  brought 
them  out  of  prison  was  quite  able  to  have  gone  and  pro- 
claimed the  gospel,  and  so  he  might  have  brought  many 
out  of  their  prison  spiritually.  But  no  ;  it  must  not  be. 
His  commission  permits  him  to  say  to  the  apostles,  ^^  Go 
and  speak  to  the  people,"  but  it  does  not  permit  him  to 
join  in  their  testimony. 

I  think  that  almost  with  reluctance  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  returned  to  his  Master,  and  left  the  chosen  men  to 
go  upon  their  blessed  errand.  x\s  our  Lord  took  not  on 
him  the,  nature  of  angels  for  man's  redemption,  so  neither 
doth  ho  employ  the  agency  of  angels  for  man's  conver- 
sion. I  feel  glad  that,  in  the  preaching  of  the  everlast- 
ing gospel,  angels  are  not  our  competitors,  at  this  present 
time  at  any  rate.  ^^  Unto  the  angels  hath  he  not  put  in 
subjection  the  world  to  come,  whereof  we  speak."  They 
are  ministering  spirits,  but  they  have  not  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  anointing  them  to  the  ministry  of  Christ. 

This  divine  choice  of  human  instrumentality  ^;?«fs /io;2or 
uigon  manhood.     Those  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Christ 


23G  THE   CHARGE  OF  THE  ANGEL. 

are  men,  and  their  redemption  from  sin  by  poAver  is  to  be 
instrumentally  accomplished  by  men.  The  great  fight 
which  began  in  the  garden  of  Eden  is  to  be  waged  by 
men  even  to  the  end.  The  conquest  of  tlie  revolted 
world  is  to  be  achieved  by  men  under  the  leadership  of 
the  all-glorious  Son  of  man.  Ye  see  your  calling,  breth- 
ren. I  pray  you,  every  one,  to  preach  the  gospel  in  your 
vocation  ;  but  specially  woidd  I  plead  for  zeal  with  those 
whose  very  vocation  it  is  to  preach  the  gospel.  What  a 
vocation  is  ours  !  What  can  be  more  honorable  ?  What 
more  responsible  %  To  rule  empires  is  a  trifle  compared 
with  speaking  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life. 
^^  Lord,  what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  %  and 
the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him  ?  "  Thou  makest 
him  higher  than  the  angels  in  this  respect,  that  out  of 
his  mouth  thou  hast  ordained  strength  because  of  thine 
enemies.  Such  honor  have  all  the  saints,  for  they  may 
all  cither  teach  or  preach  Jesus  Christ. 

My  dear  hearers,  you  may  be  yourselves  grateful  that 
this  ministry  is  committed  to  men,  because  it  is  a  conde- 
scension  to  Imman  iveahiess.  Imperfect  as  human  minis- 
ters are,  we  are  better  preachers  to  you  than  angels 
coidd  be.  We  cannot  sing  with  their  celestial  melody, 
nor  charm  you  with  their  seraphic  eloquence  ;«but  we 
have  a  sympathy  with  you  which  they  cannot  feel,  seeing 
they  are  not  compassed  with  infirmities,  nor  humbled  by 
imperfections.  We  know  your  sins,  your  sorrows,  your 
struggles.  We  know  the  roughness  of  the  road  you  tra- 
verse ;  for  we,  too,  came  in  at  the  wicket-gate,  and  have 
floundered  in  the  Slough  of  Despond,  and  scrambled  up 
the  Ilill  Difliculty.  We  can  have  compassion,  and  give 
direction  learned  by  experience.  I  suppose  an  angel 
would  command  a  very  large  congregation  for  a  time ; 


THE   CHARGE   OF   THE  ANGEL.  237 

but,  after  a  while,  you  would  feel  that  there  was  some- 
thing alien  and  distant  about  the  manner  of  his  teaching. 
You  vrould  be  awed  rather  than  comforted.  A  being 
altogether  superior  to  yourselves  would  before  long  drive 
you  to  cry  for  your  old  minister  again,  with  lips  of  clay 
and  heart  of  love.  You  would  prefer  our  feeble  pleadings 
to  the  more  glorious,  but  less  brotherly,  address  of  an 
angel  from  heaven. 

God^s  use  of  the  ministry  of  men  is  honorable  to  men, 
and  it  is  condescending  to  men,  and  surely  it  is  a  hloiv  at 
Satanic  pride.  The  Prince  of  the  Power  of  the  air  might 
have  felt  proud  to  contend  with  angels,  finding  in  them 
foemen  worthy  of  his  steel ;  but  when  the  arch-enemy 
sees  before  him  no  combatant  but  a  man  sent  of  God,  he 
feels  like  Goliath  when  he  saw  David,  a  youth  and 
ruddy,  approaching  him  with  a  sling  and  a  stone.  Dis- 
daining such  an  adversary,  I  hear  him  cry,  ^^  Am  I  a 
dog,  that  thou  comest  to  me  Avith  staves  V^  Yes,  Satan, 
thou  art  no  better  than  a  dog,  and  we  come  against  thee 
in  the  name  of  Jehovah  of  hosts,  the  God  of  the  armies 
of  Israel,  whom  thou  hast  defied.  By  humble,  truth- 
speaking,  earnest  men  the  Lord  turns  the  battle,  and 
routs  the  forces  of  error,  that  the  old  Serpent  may  still 
feel  the  foot  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  upon  his  head. 
He  thought  he  had  made  an  easy  prey  of  man ;  but  it 
shall  be  by  man  that  the  enemy  shall  be  driven  back  to 
hi^  infernal  den  with  defeat.  By  man  came  death,  and 
by  man  came  also  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ;  which 
glorious  fact  is  proclaimed  by  man,  to  the  eternal  shame 
of  him  that  hath  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil. 

To  work  by  men  must  bring  special ghry  to  God.  The 
weaker  the  instrument,  the  more  honor  to  the  worker.  I 
like  to  think,  whatever  I  may  feel  di'iven  to  believe  from 


238  TFIE   CtfARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

Scripture,  that  the  great  fight  between  good  and  evil  will 
be  so  fought  out  that  the  Lord  shall  conquer  by  feeble 
men  even  to  the  end.  The  omnipotence  of  God  will  be 
glorified  in  the  insignificance  of  the  agents  by  whom  he 
will  achieve  the  everlasting  triumph.  Those  first  apos- 
tles brought  all  the  more  glory  to  God  because  they  came 
from  the  fishers'  nets,  and  were  called  "  unlearned  and 
ignorant  men.''  The  weakness  which  men  despised  com- 
pelled them  to  confess  that  the  power  which  they  wield- 
ed was  divine.  The  Spirit  of  God  who  spoke  by  them 
found  in  them  no  fancied  wisdom  to  obstruct  his  im- 
pulses. If  the  Lord  will  graciously  use  us  poor  ministers 
to  the  end,  it  will  wonderfully  illustrate  his  wisdom  and 
power.  Somebody  once  said  that  it  proved  the  divinity 
of  our  holy  religion  that  it  suiwived  ministers  ;  and  there 
w^as  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  the  remark.  How  I  have 
wondered  that  this  congregation  have  survived  me  !  and 
I  think  we  may  wonder  that  as  a  whole  the  gospel  sur- 
vives its  advocates.  We  are  poor  tools.  I  do  not  refer 
to  you,  brethren,  from  America,  but  I  mean  all  of  us  in 
England,  and  especially  myself.  We  are  poor  tools  after 
all ;  and  if  God  uses  us  to  save  sinners  and  sanctify 
saints,  he  must  certainly  have  all  the  glory  of  it.  Breth- 
ren, the  Lord  has  used  us,  blessed  be  his  name  !  He  has 
used  us  ;  we  should  give  the  lie  to  manifest  facts  if  we 
were  to  deny  it.  Brethren,  the  Lord  means  to  use  us. 
He  hath  said,  '''  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world.'' 

I  cannot  help  adding  that  the  employment  of  men  as 
soul-winners  ^i?;e5  a  fe?zf?er  Jo^  to  the  heart  of  Jesus,  It 
pleases  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  God  should  use  men ; 
for  he  himself  is  a  man.  God,  as  he  is,  blessed  for 
ever,  yet  is  he  most  truly  man,  delighting  in  humanity, 


THE   CHARGE   OF   THE  ANGEL.  239 

and  pleased  to  see  men  called  to  a  work  of  so  much  glory 
and  honor.  He  loves  to  bless  men  and  to  see  them  made 
a  blessing.  He  delights  to  see  the  many  brethren  used 
in  their  measure  in  the  same  way  as  himself,  the  First- 
born. The  Lord  Jesus  must  take  great  pleasure  in  the 
attempts  of  his  servants  to  seek  and  to  save  souls ;  for 
they  are  learning  to  be  shepherds  like  himself.  AMien 
our  King,  Edward  III.,  heard  that  the  Black  Prince  was 
having  a  hard  battle  Avith  the  French-,  he  smiled  to  think 
that  his  son  was  in  a  place  where  he  could  show  his  valor. 
When  he  was  entreated  to  send  off  reinforcements,  he 
refused  ;  for  he  wished  his  son  to  have  the  undivided 
honors  of  the  day.  The  Lord  Jesus,  the  Captain  of  our 
salvation,  puts  some  of  his  chosen  into  places  of  great 
peril,  and  he  does  not  seem  to  send  them  all  the  help 
they  could  desire,  in  order  that  they  may  prove  their 
faith  and  consecration,  and  thus  earn  their  spurs.  He 
takes  a  brotherly  pleasure  in  the  courage  and  faith  which 
he  himself  has  wrought  in  them.  All  the  valor  of 
Christ's  soldiers  is  given  them  by  himself,  and  all  that  it 
achieves  is  to  be  attributed  to  him  ;  yet  he  finds  joy  in 
seeing  them  exercise  their  graces.  Like  as  a  father  de- 
lights to  see  his  boy  take  prize  after  prize  at  the  Univer- 
sity, like  as  a  friend  delights  to  see  his  friend  elected  to 
one  honorable  position  after  another,  so  does  Jesus  re- 
joice in  the  honors  earned  by  his  servants  in  the  field  of 
service.  "When  we  save  a  soul  from  death,  Jesus,  the 
Saviour,  rejoices  in  the  deed.  When  we  thus  cover  a 
multitude  of  sins,  Jesus,  the  sin-bearer,  sees  of  the  tra- 
vail of  his  soul.  The  father  in  the  parable  was  glad 
when  his  prodigal  son  was  found  ;  but  he  would  have 
been  gladder  still  had  a  brother  found  him.  Our  Lord 
Jesus  desires  to  make  us  happy  with  that  which  makes 


240  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

himself  happy,  and  so  he  sends  us  out  to  win  souls. 
All  these  are  good  reasons  why  the  Lord  shoidd  em- 
ploy men  and  women  to  spread  the  gospel  rather  than 
cherubim  and  seraphim.  Dear  friends,  do  you  not  think 
that  the  angels  must  often  wonder  at  us  %  When  they 
see  men  eager  upon  politics  and  negligent  of  soids,  are 
they  not  astonished  %  Do  they  never  say,  '•''  We  wish 
the  great  Lord  would  let  us  go  and  speak  to  perishing 
souls.  We  would  speak  with  all  our  hearts  "  I  Do  they 
not  sometimes  say  to  one  another,  "  What  are  these  men 
at?  Do  they  disdain  their  high  calling?  God  has 
given  to  them  the  great  privilege  of  preaching  and  teach- 
ing his  holy  word,  but  they  do  not  care  to  do  it.  They 
speak  as  if  they  were  half  asleep.  Where  is  their  zeal 
for  God,  their  love  to  men,  their  earnestness  for  Christ  ?  ^' 
Brethren,  these  holy  spirits  must  feel  ashamed  of  us ! 
True,  they  are  our  servants,  and  bear  us  up  in  their 
hands,  lest  we  dash  our  feet  against  a  stone  ;  but  must 
they  not  sometimes  wish  that  we  were  stronger  on  our 
feet,  and  were  more  eager  to  dash  our  hands  against  the 
enemies  of  God  ?  We  are  carried  as  invalids,  when  we 
ought  to  be  fighting  like  champions.  I  charge  you  by 
the  angels  of  God,  who  are  not  permitted  to  touch  this 
holy  work,  preach  the  word,  be  instant  in  season,  out  of 
season.  Preach  with  a  vigor  worthy  of  the  divine  exer- 
cise. Preach  the  word  in  some  such  style  -as  you  would 
expect  from  those  who  are  bought  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus. 

So  have  I  spoken  to  you  who  are  men.  As  for  thee, 
O  angel  of  God,  thou  hast  opened  the  prison  doors  and 
set  free  the  men  of  God  ;  but  thou  must  now  go  back  to 
him  that  sent  thee.  Bright  spirit,  I  dare  not  offer  thee 
my  pidpit.     Feeble  as  I   am,  I  must   do  the  preaching. 


THE   CHARGE   OE  THE  ANGEL.  241 

Oh,  that  thy  Lord  and  luinc  may  help  me,  and  enable  me 
to  make  full  proof  of  my  ministry  !  Farewell,  angel  of 
God,  go  thou  thy  way  ! 

II.  Secondly,  these  men  are  to  teach  the  peo- 
ple.    All  the  words  of  this  life  they  are  to  speak. 

The  manner  of  their  teaching  is  hinted  at — They  are  to 
do  it  promptly,  yea,  immediately.  ''  Go,"  says  the 
angel,  '^  go.  Do  not  linger  here.  Go  at  once."  They 
did  go,  so  that  they  were  in  tlie  temple  courts  early  in 
the  morning.  The  first  beams  of  the  sun  that  w^ere  re- 
flected from  the  golden  roof  met  their  eyes.  The  first 
w^orshippers  in  those  hallowed  courts  heard  the  apostles 
testifying  of  Jesus  and  his  love.  0  dear  servants  of 
God,  let  us  run  with  the  glad  tidings.  '^  The  King's 
business  requireth  haste."  The  first  moment  w^e  can  get 
man  or  woman  to  listen  to  us,  let  us  speak  the  living 
word  which  we  have  learned  at  the  feet  of  Jesus. 

They  were  to  make  this  their  primary  business. 
'^  Go,"  said  the  angel,  '^  before  anything  else :  this  be 
your  chief  employ."  I  should  have  been  tempted  to 
linger  a  little,  just  to  find  out  how  the  angel  released 
the  prisoners.  He  had  opened  the  doors,  so  we  are  told, 
but  yet  they  Avere  found  closed  and  fastened  when  the 
officers  came,  and  the  sentries  had  not  left  their  posts. 
Here  is  a  mystery ;  I  should  like  to  clear  it  up.  Are 
there  not  many  such  mysteries  %  But  the  command  is 
pressing  and  peremptory  :  "  Go,  speak  to  the  people." 
"  Let  me  tarry ;  one  does  not  see  angels  every  day.  Let 
me  stay  and  take  in  a  more  complete  idea  of  the  heav- 
enly stranger.  Lidulge  me  with  a  little  conversation 
Avith  one  Avho  has  seen  my  Lord.  There  are  a  great 
many  questions  wdiich  I  Avould  fain  have  answered." 
Dear  fellow-worker,  we  perhaps  are  tempted  to  study 


242  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

very  deeply  into  mysterious  points  wliicli  do  not  minister 
to  profit  5  let  us,  then,  hear  the  angel  say,  ^'  Go,  speak 
to  the  people.'^  Let  us  keep  our  thoughts  to  that  gospel 
which  we  are  sent  to  preach.  ^'  The  words  of  this  life  " 
will  furnish  ample  scope  for  all  our  powers ;  let  us  not 
wander  into  endless  debates,  which  are  rather  for  curios- 
ity than  salvation,  and  tend  rather  to  gratify  our  taste 
than  to  accomplish  our  life-purpose.  The  first  and  chief 
business  of  the  man  of  God  is,  "  Go,  stand  and  speak  to 
the  people.'^  However  simple  the  speaking,  it  may  be 
rather  talk  than  oratory,  this  is  our  one  great  business 
here  below. 

It  is  clear  from  the  text  that  they  were  to  take  a  con- 
spicuous place  and  speak  boldly  :  "  Go,  stand  in  the 
temple."  Go  where  the  Sanhedrim  holds  its  sittings, 
where  the  high  priest  and  his  Sadducean  comrades  are 
on  the  watch.  Let  not  the  danger  hinder  you.  Go 
where  all  can  see  you ;  stand  up,  and  stand  out.  Where- 
ever  the  people  are,  there  let  your  voices  be  heard.  Be 
there  perseveringly,  taking  your  stand,  and  keeping  it 
till  removed  by  force.  The  object  was  to  make  the 
gospel  known ;  therefore,  let  them  ..go  to  headquarters, 
let  them  stand  in  the  chief  place  of  concourse,  let  them 
be  in  the  resort  of  the  devout,  let  them  challenge 
the  observation  of  pilgrims  from  every  corner  of  the 
land.  Brethren,  it  is  not  ours  to  hide  in  holes  and  in 
corners  ;  our  gospel  is  like  the  smi,  whose  line  has  gone 
out  through  all  the  earth.  Let  us  not  speak  timidly,  for 
we  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  fear,  neither  will  we 
hide  our  candle  under  a  bushel.  We  are  to  publish  the 
tidings  of  that  life  from  the  dead  which  has  brought  life 
for  the  dead. 

The  persons  for   ivliom  this  prcacliing    is  designed  are 


THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL.  243 

mentioned  :  "  Speak  unto  the  people."  "  Unto  tlie  peo- 
ple/' that  does  not  mean  the  poor  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  rich,  nor  the  many  to  the  exclusion  of  the  few.  The 
expression  is  most  comprehensive;  and  embraces  Loth 
the  masses  and  the  classes.  If  the  men  of  the  council 
would  hear  them,  let  them  speak  to  them.  They  did  so, 
alas  !  with  small  result.  This  is  a  truly  gospel  word  of 
command  ;  for  the  gospel  is  glad  tidings  to  all  people, 
and  it  is  to  be  preached  to  every  creature  under  heaven. 
A  restricted  audience  is  an  unevangelic  idea.  Go  and 
speak  unto  the  people,  then;  to  all  sorts  of  people,  to 
everybody.  Let  not  a  soul  escape  if  you  can  help  it,  for 
your  mission  is  to  all  mankind.  O  gospel  fisherman, 
spread  the  great  seine  net,  which  will  encompass  a  great 
multitude  of  fishes,  and  with  diligence  draw  it  to  shore. 

If  we  take  the  word  ^'  people  "  in  its  popular  sense,  it 
has  a  lesson  to  all  who  teach  the  word.  Some  aim  at  the 
intellectual,  let  us  speak  to  the  people  all  the  words  of 
this  life.  A  minister  whose  congregation  numbers  about 
forty  all  told  rejoiced  in  the  smallness  of  it,  because  he 
professed  that  a  greater  work  could  be  done  with  a  few 
than  with  a  larger  number.  In  answer,  a  friend  sug- 
gested that  he  should  infer  from  that  statement  that  a 
greater  work  could  be  done  with  no  people  at  all.  This 
reduced  the  hypothesis  to  an  absurdity.  "  I  am  sure," 
said  one,  ^'that  the  better  a  man  preaches  the  smaller 
his  congregation  will  become."  This  shows  what  a  large 
number  of  very  excellent  preachers  we  have  in  London. 
But  our  business  is  to  reach  the  people  somehow.  To 
obey  the  text,  we  must  ""  Go  and  speak  to  the  people." 
They  need  it ;  are  they  not  perishing  for  lack  of  knowl- 
edge f  The  gospel  is  adapted  to  their  needs  and  capaci- 
ties— it   is    simple,   suitable,   seasonable,     saving.     The 


244  THE   CHARGE   OE  THE   ANGEL. 

people  will  receive  it.  If  the  poor  have  the  gospel 
peached  to  them^  thej  will  hear  it.  God  inclines  the 
hearts  of  the  multitude  to  hearken.  We  read  of  Jesus, 
that  "  all  the  people  were  very  attentive  to  hear  him.'' 
Moreover,  the  people  retain  the  truth  when  they  receive 
it.  Note  this  fact  in  history  :  the  Reformation  in  Spain 
was  among  the  nobility,  and  it  was  the  same  in  Italy,  and 
the  work  soon  subsided.  In  England  the  common  peo- 
ple received  the  truth  from  WyclifFe,  and  it  never  died 
out.  If  you  wanted  to  burn  a  haystack,  you  would  set 
it  alight  at  the  bottom  ;  and  if  you  want  a  whole  nation 
to  feel  the  power  of  the  gospel,  it  must  first  be  received 
by  laborers  and  artisans.  The  martyrs  of  England  were 
largely  taken  from  weavers  and  such  like.  The  people 
love  the  man  ^^  chosen  out  of  the  people."  The  Bible  is 
their  charter,  the  gospel  is  their  estate,  and  when  they 
know  it,  they  will  retain  it  with  heroic  constancy.  What 
is  more,  they  will  spread  it.  Christ's  first  preachers 
were  of  the  people  ;  and  in  the  streets  of  London  to-day, 
and  in  the  Simday-schools  of  England  to-day,  you  will 
find  that  the  people  are  to  the  front  in  holy  work.  We 
are  glad  to  see  the  noble,  the  great,  the  rich,  the  cultured 
dedicated  to  our  Lord  ;  but,  after  all,  our  chief  hope  lies 
among  the  people. 

The  angel  even  mentioned  the  place  to  ivlikh  tliey  tvere 
to  go  :  ^'  Go,  stand  in  the  temple.^'  It  was  the  most  pub- 
lic place  in  all  Jerusalem  ;  therefore,  ^^  Go,  stand  in  the 
temple "  rather  than  in  a  private  house.  It  was  the 
likeliest  place  to  find  attentive  hearers  :  the  noise  of  the 
sheep-market  and  the  bazaar  would  be  absent.  Those 
who  came  early  would  probably  be  among  the  most  de- 
vout. "  Go,  stand  in  the  temple."  But  when  they  were 
bidden  to  stand  in  the  temple  it  meant  that  they  were  to 


THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL.  245 

stand  in  any  place  and  every  place  where  .an  audience 
could  be  gathered.  So  they  understood  it  according  to 
the  last  verse  of  the  chapter  :  "  Daily  in  the  temple,  and 
in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach 
Jesus  Christ."  Fellow-workers,  our  business  is  to  speak 
to  the  people  concerning  eternal  life  ;  and  we  must  see 
that  we  do  it.  If  in  this  great  house  so  many  will  gather 
that  the  utmost  capacity  of  my  voice  is  used  up,  this  is 
the  place  for  me  to  preach  in  ;  but  if  the  people  will  not 
come  here,  T  must  go  after  them.  We  must  take  public 
halls  and  assembly  rooms  ;  v/e  must  even  hire  theatres 
and  music-halls,  or  stand  in  the  streets :  for  we  must 
speak  to  the  people.  As  men  enlightened  from  on  high 
we  must  carry  the  light  to  the  eyes  of  men.  We  must 
carry  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  healing  to  the  diseased. 
If  not  by  one  style  of  speaking,  yet  by  another,  we  must 
so  speak  as  to  be  heard  :  it  is  of  no  use  to  go  on  droning 
to  empty  pews,  or  holding  forth  to  bare  walls.  We  must 
get  at  the  people.  This  is  what  the  angel  bids  us  do. 
"  Go,"  said  he,  '^  speak  to  the  people  all  the  words  of 
this  life." 

III.  Thirdly,  this  message  is  described:  ^^  Speak 
to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  Our  teaching, 
if  we  are  true  to  Christ,  will  be  not  only  a  doctrine,  but 
a  life.  The  high  priest  conceived  that  they  preached 
doctrine  ;  for  he  said,  ^'  Ye  have  filled  Jerusalem  with 
your  doctrine."  Yet  it  may  as  truly  be  called  life  as 
truth.  The  Christian  religion  is  like  Christ — way,  truth, 
and  life.  We  have  to  preach  "  words  of  life ; "  truth 
which  brings  life,  feeds  life,  and  perfects  life.  We 
are  to  preach  all  the  great  truths  which  concern  eternal  life. 

What  are  the  ^^  words  of  this  life  \  "  If  I  had  to  give 
a  short  list  of  them,   I   shoidd  say,  the  first  word  of  this 


246  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

life  is  ^^  Jesus  Christ ;  "  for  in  the  forty-second  verse  we 
read^  ^^  They  ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus 
Christ:  "  Jesus  has  the  words  of  eternal  life.  We  preach 
his  Deity,  his  manhood,  his  offices,  his  sacrificial  death^ 
his  resurrection,  and  everything  about  him.  We  preach 
Christ  crucified,  and  if  we  did  not,  we  should  not  speak 
the  words  of  life. 

The  next  word  to  use  woidd  be  ^^  atonement^  There 
is  no  preaching  ''the  words  of  this  life"  except  we  preach 
the  sacrificial  death  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  apostles 
boldly  spoke  of  our  Lord's  death,  for  they  said  to  the 
council,  "  Whom  ye  slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree."  They 
had  mentioned  the  precious  blood  ;  for  the  high  priest 
said,  '^  Ye  intend  to  bring  this  man's  blood  upon  us." 
Leave  out  the  satisfaction  made  by  Christ  for  sin,  leave 
out  the  doctrine  of  a  real  and  effective  substitution,  and 
you  have  left  out  of  the  gospel  ''the  blood  which  is  the 
life  thereof."  "  The  words  of  this  life  '^  are  not  preached 
to  the  people  where  the  cross  is  put  in  the  background. 

The  next  word,  to  my  mind,  would  be  "  resurrection.''^ 
This  they  preached  very  fully,  saying,  "  Him  hath  God 
raised  from  the  dead."  Th e  resurrection  of  Chirst  secured 
the  justification  of  believers,  and  also  guaranteed  their 
resurrection  from  the  dead  by  virtue  of  their  union  with 
him.  If  the  resurrection  were  more  fully  preached  at 
this  time,  1  am  sanguine  that  it  would  be  a  powerful 
means  of  conversion. 

Nor  could  the  apostles  forget  "  regeneratior.J^  They 
would  echo  their  Lord's  words,  "Ye  must  be  born  again." 
This  new  birth  is  possible  to  you,  for  "  he  that  sat  upon 
the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new."  Leave 
out  the  doctrine  of  the  new  birth,  and  you  have  left  out 
one  of  the  cardinal  "words  of  this  life." 


THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL.  247 

Then  comes  ^^faithP  What  a  word  is  this  !  ^'  With- 
out faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God."  '^  By  grace  ye 
are  saved  through  faith."  He  who  does  not  preach 
justification  by  faith  has  not  begun  to  preach  '^  the  words 
of  this  life."  He  that  believeth  in  Christ  hath  everlast- 
ing life  J  but  without  faith  all  is  death. 

The  sixth  out  of  seven  words  is  ^'  indwdVingP  The 
Holy  Spirit  comes  into  the  heart,  and  abides  there,  work- 
ing sanctification  within,  and  producing  holiness  without. 
^^  Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord  ;  "  and  if 
hojiness  be  not  preached  as  the  efi'ect  of  the  indwelling 
Spirit  of  God,  ^^  all  the  words  of  this  life  "  are  not  spoken 
to  the  people. 

Then  come  the  doctrines  of  tlie  eternal  life :  that  the 
life  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit  never  dies.  ^'  The  water 
that  \.  shali  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water 
springing  up  into  everlasting  life."  This  eternal  life  is 
seen  here  in  the  perseverance  of  the  saints  ;  it  is  seen 
hereafter  in  their  immortality  and  endless  glory.  To 
leave  out  this  would  l^e  to  leave  out  the  grandest  of  "the 
words  of  this  life." 

If  you  desire  another  outline  of  the  gospel,  I  would  re- 
fer you  to  Peter's  little  address  to  the  council.  Read  at 
the  twenty-ninth  verse.  Here  is  ilie  princix)le  of  this  life  : 
"  We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men."  He  who 
gets  this  life  into  him,  will  be  imder  law  to  God,  and 
when  that  law  goes  counter  to  the  authority  of  man,  man's 
law  will  go  to  the  wall.  God  is  supreme  to  the  man  who 
has  this  life  :  he  lives  as  an  obedient  child  of  God. 

The  next  great  truth  mentioned  by  Peter  is  the  cause 
of  this  life.  He  declared  the  death  of  Christ — "Whom 
ye  slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree  ;  "  that  followed  by  his 
resurrection — "  The  God  of  oui'  fathers  raised  up  Jesus  j" 


248  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

that  followed  by  liis  ascension  to  glory — '"'•  Him  hath  God 
exalted  with  his  right  hand."  These  are  historical  facts 
which  contain  vital  doctrines.  We  must  keep  on  ham- 
mei'ing  away  at  this  :  Jesus  died,  rose  again,  and  rose  to 
heaven  to  make  intercession  for  us  ;  because  of  all  this 
there  is  life  for  the  sons  of  men.  There  is  no  teaching 
'•''  all  the  words  of  this  life  "  unless  these  three  great  facts 
flame  ouj  like  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  are  made  to  be 
essential  to  our  eternal  life. 

Then  comes  ilie  manner  'by  ivhicli  tve  receive  this  life, 
namely,  as  a  free  gift.  Jesus  is  exalted  "  to  give  repent- 
ance." The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life.  Salvation  is  by 
free  grace,  and  free  grace  alone.  ^'  This  life  "  is  never 
an  evolution.  Spiritual  life  does  not  lie  dormant  within 
the  dead  heart  of  man ;  it  is  an  importation  from  heaven, 
an  implantation  by  the  Spirit.  We  are  quickened  by  the 
miraculous  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Here  we  have  tJie  beginning  of  this  life,  namely,  repent- 
ance, a  sense  of  sin,  a  turning  from  it,  an  abhorrence  of 
it :  this  is  the  gift  of  Jesus,  and  the  beginning  of  the  new 
life. 

Then  you  have  tlie  privilege  of  this  life — ^^  forgiveness 
of  sin."  He  that  lives  in  Christ  is  set  free  from  the  guilt 
of  sin  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 

Then  comes  the  evidence  of  this  life — "whereof  we  are 
witnesses."  We  speak  to  you  of  a  life  which  we  have 
felt.  We  do  not  talk  to  you  about  an  im.aginary  thing : 
we  speak  about  a  fact  which  we  have  observed,  nay,  a 
fact  which  we  have  felt.  A  far  greater  witness  is  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who,  as  he  converts  and  sanctifies  men, 
bears  the  best  possible  testimony  to  the  truth  and  life  of 
the  gospel. 

The  fruit  of  this  life  must  also  be  preached — "whom 


THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL.  249 

God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  him."  There  is  no 
life  in  Christ  apart  from  obedience  to  Christ.  Obedience 
is  the  sure  residt  of  our  being  made  to  live  by  the  Spirit 
of  Godj  nor  must  this  ever  be  forgotten. 

Thus  have  I  very  roughly  told  you  what  you  are  to 
preach. 

IV.  But  now^  fourthly,  the  whole  of  the  divine  mes- 
sage MUST  BE  DELIVERED.  "  Stand  in  the  temple,  and 
speak  mito  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  Dear  breth- 
ren, it  is  forbidden  us  to  omit  any  part  of  the  gospel.  I  am 
very  glad  it  is ;  for  if  we  were  permitted,  we  shoidd  some- 
times shirk  the  unpopular  parts  of  it.  Yet  surely  it  would 
be  very  dangerous  to  omit  any  part  of  the  gospel,  would  it 
not  ?  It  woidd  be  like  a  physician  giving  a  prescription 
to  a  dispenser,  and  the  dispenser  omitting  one  of  the  in- 
gredients. He  might  kill  the  patient  by  the  omission. 
The  worst  results  follow  the  keeping  back  of  any  doc- 
trine :  we  may  not  see  those  results,  but  they  will  follow. 
Possibly  only  the  next  generation  will  fully  display  the 
mischief  done  by  a  truth  concealed  or  denied.  It  would 
be  a  dangerous  experiment  for  any  one  of  us  to  make. 

And  would  it  not  hQ  preswnptuous  to  leave  out  a  word? 
If  we  might  take  away  from  the  testimony,  who  among 
us  is  wise  enough  to  know  what  to  omit  ? 

It  is  a  thousand  mercies  that  we  are  not  left  to  pick 
and  choose,  for  this  would  involve  us  in  responsibilities 
far  too  weighty  to  be  borne.  It  is  too  responsible  a  busi- 
ness for  us  to  enter  upon. 

Would  not  the  liberty  he  injurious  to  tis  f  Would  it 
not  encourage  pride?  Should  we  not  think  ourselves 
romebody  if  we  were  allowed  to  make  a  selection  of  the 
best  parts  of  the  sacred  message  ?  Surely,  he  that 
judges  is  greater  than  that  which  is  judged.     We  should 


250  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL. 

soon  imagine  ourselves  to  be  far  more  nearly  infallible 
tlian  the  Holy  Script Lires. 

Would  not  this  greatly  dlslionor  God  f  Would  it  not 
suggest  that  God's  gospel  is  full  of  superfluities  and  ex- 
crescenceSy  and  needs  our  wisdom  to  make  it  perfect  ? 
Should  we  not  conclude  that  the  Lord  was  not  so  wise  as 
ourselves  if  he  needed  our  assistance  to  adapt  his  gospel 
to  the  occasion  I 

Do  you  not  think  it  woidd  open  a  very  easy  way  for 
another  gospel  f  If  we  might  omit,  we  might  also  add  ; 
and  I  feel  sure  we  should  very  soon  add  a  great  deal 
which  would  neutralize  and  paralyze  that  of  the  gospel 
wdiich  remained.  If  we  felt  at  liberty  to  leave  out  some- 
thing, we  should  naturally  omit  that  which  is  offensive, 
and  away  would  go  the  tooth  and  edge  of  the  gospel. 
That  which  is  effensive  in  the  gospel  is  just  that  wliicli  is 
effective.  What  men  oppose  is  what  God  uses.  If  the 
offence  of  the  cross  had  ceased,  the  power  of  the  cross 
would  have  ceased  also.  It  is  not  left  to  us  to  cut  and 
carve  the  doctrine  of  Christ :  we  are  to  preach  "  all  the 
words  of  this  life." 

Have  we  done  so  ?  That  is  the  question.  Have  we 
knowingly  concealed  anything  ?  "  Well,"  says  one,  ''  I 
have  not  preached  all  the  words  of  this  life  to  the  people j 
but  I  have  preached  them  to  a  choice  company."  But 
you  are  told  to  preach  them  all  to  the  people.  The  doc- 
trine of  reserve  must  not  be  tolerated  among  Protestants. 
We  must  not  make  that  philosophical  division  which  is 
expressed  in  those  two  ugly  words  esoteric  and  exoteric. 
This  is  abolished  by  the  command  to  preach  to  the  people 
*'  all  the  words  of  this  life."  We  shall  get  into  no  end  of 
mischief  and  dishonesty  if  we  incline  to  this  Jesuitry. 
We  want  an  open  Bible  for  every  eye,  and  a  plain  min- 


THE    CHARGE   OE   I'lIR  AN'}EL.  251 

istiy  for  every  car.  We  are  to  prcacli  ^^  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  tlic  truth  "  in  fair  propor- 
tions, and  to  preach  this  to  the  people  openly. 

At  the  present  moment  there  is  a  great  tendency  to  be 
obscure  upon  the  true  and  proper  Deity  of  Christ.  I  en- 
joyed the  commencement  of  the  prayer  just  offered  by 
our  dear  friend  Dr.  John  Hall.  I  enjoyed  the  whole  of 
it,  but  I  was  greatly  touched  by  his  lowly  adoration  of 
our  divine  Lord.  The  Broad  men  will  say  that  Jesus  is 
divine,  but  they  do  not  mean  that  he  is  God  :  they  speak 
of  his  divinity,  but  they  reject  his  Godhead.  This  is 
juggling  with  words.  I  hate  deceptive  phrases.  We 
believe  in  the  Godhead  of  Jesus,  and  worship  him  as 
God.  Christ  Jesus  is  either  God  or  an  impostor :  there 
is  no  halting-place  between  the  two.  He  said  that  he 
was  God,  he  permitted  his  disciples  to  think  that  he  was 
God ;  he  has  left  words  in  Scripture  which  have  made 
millions  believe  him  to  be  God  5  and  he  could  not  have 
been  a  good  man  if,  as  a  mere  man,  he  had  produced 
such  an  impression,  and  had  taken  no  pains  to  remove 
it. 

There  is  also  a  sad  tendency  to  becloud  the  truth  of 
man's  fall  and  depravity  ;  but  if  you  do  not  preach  man's 
ruin,  you  cannot  preach  "  all  the  Avords  of  this 
life." 

You  must  be  clear  ahout  his  spiritual  death,  or  you 
will  never  be  right  about  his  quickening  into  spiritual 
life.  Unless  you  preach  the  terrible  doom  of  the  wicked, 
you  will  never  see  the  greatness  of  the  salvation  which 
comes  to  us  by  our  Lord  Jesus,  who  has  "  the  words  of 
eternal  life." 

The  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  left  too  much  in  the 
rear  by  many    preachers.     Have    we  not   heard   of  late 


252  THE   CHARGE   OF  THE  ANGEL, 

that  certain  cliildren  do  not  need  to  be  converted,  that 
the  divine  life  is  in  them  at  their  birth  %  Have  they  not 
preached  education  rather  than  regeneration,  evokition 
rather  than  conversion?  This  is  not  speaking  "  all  the 
words  of  this  life."  It  is  telling  out  "  old  Avives'  fables." 
Brethren,  have  we  not  also  a  few  about  us  who  will 
not  bear  ^^  all  the  words"  ?  for  if  you  preach  holiness  as 
the  fruits  of  the  new  life,  they  say  you  are  legal.  Verily, 
the  results  of  this  life  are  among  the  most  important  of 
the  words  which  must  be  spoken  to  the  people,  Grace 
which  does  not  make  us  hate  sin  is  false  grace.  We 
must  preach  repentance  from  dead  works,  and  faith 
which  works  by  love,  and  the  people  must  be  told  that 
Christ  has  not  come  to  save  men  m  their  sin  but /row 
their   sin.     On   this    we    will   be    clear   as   the    sun    at 

I;00n. 

If  there  be  any  other  point  of  truth  which  is  kept 
back,  let  us  bring  it  the  more  forward.  Let  us  insist 
doubly  upon  that  which  others  neglect.  It  needs  that 
the  whole  gospel  be  brought  before  the  people,  that  they 
may  know  it,  and  feel  its  power.  It  will  involve  you  in 
strife  and  struggle  if  you  resolve  on  delivering  an  all- 
round  gospel;  but  fear  not,  the  Lord  will  help  tou,  even 
he  who  says  to  you  by  his  angel,  '•''  Go,  stand  and  speak 
in  the  temple  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this 
life." 

I  have  done  when  I  have  asked  what  we  are  doing 
about  this  %  We  who  are  God's  people,  what  are  we  do- 
ing in  this  matter  %  Some  of  us  are  preaching.  Are  we 
preaching  the  whole  gospel.  Has  any  doctrine  been 
withheld?  Let  us  bring  forth  things  new  and  old,  and 
keep  back  nothing.  Let  us  put  every  stone  into  the  arch, 
lest  our  building  come  to  nothing.     Have  we  also  preached 


THE   CHARGE   OF   7I/E  ANGEL.  253 

those  trutlis  as  words  of  life  ?  Have  we  felt  the  life  in 
tliein  f  Have  wc  expected  life  to  come  by  them  ?  Our 
preaching  will  be  very  much  what  we  believe  it  will  be ; 
and  if  we  do  not  believe  that  God  is  going  to  bless  it,  he  is 
not  likely  to  bless  it.  If  we  do  not  expect  to  see  life 
created  by  the  living  word,  we  shall  preach  dead  sermons 
to  dead  ears. 

Have  we  preached  as  witnesses  ?  Complaint  is  made 
sometimes  of  a  preacher  that  he  says  too  much. about  his 
own  experience.  I  do  not  believe  he  can  do  so,  for  our 
experience  is  our  witness-bearing.  You  can  be  egotis- 
tical, and  say  that  which  is  to  your  own  credit,  and  this 
is  censurable  :  but  you  can  also  be  happily  egostistical, 
and  say  that  which  is  to  God's  glory,  and  that  is  com- 
mendable. You  may  lawfully  say,  ^^  This  is  true.  I 
have  proved  it  !  "  This  is  one  great  reason  why  God 
uses  men  instead  of  angels  to  speak  the  gospel,  because 
men  can  support  their  message  by  their  experience,  and 
angels  cannot. 

But,  beloved  friends,  are  there  not  some  of  you  who 
nev^er  tell  any  body  "  the  words  of  this  life  "  ?  In  such 
a  congregation  ought  it  to  be  possible  to  put  your  finger 
upon  a  single  regenerated  man  or  woman  v/ho  has  never 
for  a  whole  lifetime  spoken  to  another  about  the  things 
of  God  ?  Are  such  persons  regenerated  ?  T  will  not 
come  round  and  mark  you  ;  but,  alas  !  some  of  you  have 
never  even  confessed  your  faith  in  Clirist.  If  you  have 
not  obeyed  that  important  command  for  yourselves,  you 
are  not  likely  to  have  done  much  for  the  soids  of  others. 
But  having  joined  the  church  of  God,  are  any  of  you 
satisfied  to  be  silent?  Are  you  content  to  let  those 
around  you  sink  to  hell  ?  What  !  never  tell  of  Christ's 
love  ?      What !    never  speak  of  salvation  to  your  own 


254  THE   CHARGE   OE  THE  AXGEL. 

children  and  servants  ?  Can  this  be  right  ?  In  God's 
name,  wake  up  !  What  are  you  left  on  this  earth  for  % 
If  there  is  nothing  for  you  to  do,  why  are  you  in  this 
sinful  world  %  You  ought  to  be  hurried  off  to  heaven, 
where  you  might  praise  God.  No,  no,  I  am  afraid  I  am 
mistaken.  You  could  not  praise  God  in  heaven,  you 
have  not  learned  the  way.  You  coidd  not  join  in  the 
song  of  the  redeemed,  for  you  have  never  had  a  rehear- 
sal. Begin,  begin,  begin  at  once  to  praise  Jusus  in  the 
ears  of  some  one.  Tell  of  Jesus  and  his  love  to  sinners 
on  earth,  or  how  will  you  be  able  to  make  it  known  to 
angels,  and  principalities,  and  powers  % 

Could  not  some  of  you  do  more  than  you  are  doing  % 
Are  there  not  young  men  who  might  preach  on  a  street- 
corner  or  at  a  cottage-meeting  ?  Some  of  our  evangelis- 
tic societies  flag  for  want  of  preachers.  It  ought  not  to 
be  the  case.  What  are  you  at  ?  If  you  could  not 
preach  to  men  and  women,  could  you  not  teach  the 
children  ?  Very  many  Sunday-schools  in  this  region 
are  straitened  dreadfully  for  want  of  teachers.  I  could 
tell  you  of  ragged-schools  on  Sunday  evenings  where 
multitudes  of  children  are  turned  away  because  there 
are  no  teachers.  What  are  you  at  %  You  confess  that 
you  are  not  your  o\Mfi,  but  bought  with  a  price  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  :  Vvdiy  then  do  you  not  serve  him  %  I  have 
succeeded  to  a  large  degree  in  routing  some  of  you  out : 
I  miss  you  on  Sunday  evenings,  and  a  good  miss  too, 
since  I  know  where  you  are,  and  that  you  are  out  serv- 
ing God.  You  take  your  meal  in  the  morning,  and  then 
you  feed  others  in  the  after  part  of  the  day.  The  Lord 
bless  you  in  it.  You  were  not  created  to  sit  in  these 
pews,  and  listen  to  me  :  there  is  something  better  for  a 
mortal  man  to  do  than  to  be  a  hearer  only. 


THE    CHARGE   OF  lliK   AA'GBL.  255 

I  charge  cverj  Clirlstian  man  ar.rl  woman  here  to  lis- 
ten to  what  I  am  about  to  saj.  Though  I  am  no  angel, 
I  repeat  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  the  command  of 
the  heavenly  messenger :  Go,  stand  out  boldly,  and 
speak  unto  the  people  all  tho  words  of  this  life  j  and 
may  God  bless  you.     Amen. 


XII. 

PLAIN     DIRECTIONS     TO     THOSE     WHO    WOULD   BE     SAVED 
FROM    SIN. 

July  15,  1888. 

"  Stand  in  a-vre,  and  sin  not :  commune  AvitTi  your  own  heart 
upon  your  bed,  and  be  still.  Selali.  Oifer  tlie  sacrifices  of  right- 
eousness, and  i)ut  your  trust  iu  the  Lord. — Psalm  iv.  4,  5. 

David  was  surrounded  with  many  wicked  and  cruel 
enemies.  Tliey  touched  him  in  a  tender  place  when 
they  mocked  his  religion,  and  so  turned  his  glory  into 
shame.  They  invented  all  kinds  of  lies  against  him  ; 
but  the  worst  of  all  was  that  they  said,  ^'  There  is  no 
help  for  him  in  God."  As  much  as  to  say,  ^^  God  hath 
cast  him  off;  therefore,  let  men  cast  him  off.  He  that 
is  forsaken  of  the  Lord  is  not  fit  to  sit  ujDon  the  throne 
of  Israel ;  let  us  set  up  Absalom  in  his  place."  This 
was  malice  indeed. 

David  first  made  his  appeal  to  God  in  prayer.  Herein 
he  showed  his  wisdom.  You  can  drive  a  better  business 
at  the  mercy-seat  than  in  the  world^s  jangling  markets. 
You  will  get  more  relief  from  the  righteous  Lord  than 
from  ungodly  men.  To  enter  into  debate  is  never  so 
profitable  as  to  enter  into  devotion.  Carry  not  your 
complaint  into  the  lower  courts,  but  go  at  once  to  the 
Court  of  King's  Bench,  where  the- Judge  of  all  presides. 
Copy  David  and  David's  Lord,  who  in  the  days  of  his 
^56) 


DIRECTIONS   TO  BE   SAVED  FROM  SIN.  257 

flesli  with  strong  crying  and  tCcars  poured  out  liis  soid 
before  the  Father. 

After  David  liad  prayed,  he  expostulated  with  his 
adversaries.  The  first  showed  his  sonship  towards  God, 
the  second  his  brotherliness  towards  men.  There  is  noth- 
ing of  bitterness  in  the  words  I  have  read  to  you  :  they 
liave  a  kindly  voice  in  them.  If  his  foes  had  been  at  all 
reasonable,  they  would  have  listened  to  his  pleadings ; 
but  it  is  to  be  feared  they  were  otherwise  minded.  He 
urges  them  to  cease  from  sin,  and  he  teaches  them  the 
way  to  do  so.  In  four  sentences  he  helps  them  to  escape 
from  their  evil  ways,  and  to  become  better  men.  Had 
God's  Spirit  applied  David's  words  to  their  consciences, 
they  would  have  been  pricked  in  their  hearts,  and  there 
would  have  been  no  need  for  them  to  be  smitten  on  the 
cheek-bone,    that   their    cruel  teeth    might   be    broken. 

Upon  these  four  precepts  I  would  speak  this  morning 
as  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  give  me  utterance,  trusting, 
hoping,  believing  that  many  who  desire  a  better  life  may 
find  it  while  I  speak.  .  May  God  begin  with  them,  that 
they  may  begin  with  God  !  I  have  no  confidence  in  my 
own  persuasions  ;  yet,  being  called  to  use  them,  I  trust 
in  him  that  sent  me  to  make  them  effectual. 

David  mentions  four  things  as  helpful  towards  ceasing 
from  sinning.  The  first  is,  feci  reverent  aive.  "  Stand 
in  awe,  and  sin  not."  The  second  is,  use  tJwugJiffid  self- 
examination:  ^^  Commune  with  your  own  heart  upon 
your  bed,  and  be  stilL"  The  third  advice  is,  make  a 
right  approach  to  God — "  Offer  the  sacrifice  of  righteous- 
ness "  :  and  the  fourth  is  the  greatest  of  them  all :  exer- 
CISC  faith — ^^Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord.'^  Here  are  four 
stepping-stones  across  the  filthy  slough  of  sin  ;  may  you 
mark  them  well,  and  step  from  one  to  the  other  by  the 


258  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

help  of  God's  Spirit,  till  jou  reach  the  other  shore,  and 
stand  on  safe  and   clean  ground ! 

I.  First,  FEEL  REVERENT  AWE:  ^^  Stand  in  awe." 
It  might  be  translated,  ^^  Tremble  and  sin  not."  Hard- 
ened sinners  sin,  and  tremble  not ;  penitent  sinners 
tremble,  and  sin  not.  Gracious  work  in  the  heart  usu- 
ally begins  with  trembling.  I  cannot  believe  a  man  has 
been  saved  if  he  has  never  trembled  before  God  because 
of  the  evil  of  sin.  The  old  house  of  depraved  nature 
shakes  before  it  comes  down.  The  returning  prodigal 
must  feel,  '^  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son,"  or  he 
will  never  be  called  a  son.  He  seeks  his  father's  face 
with  much  trembling,  because  he  has  so  grievously  of- 
fended. 

Awe  is  not  a  common  emotion  nowadays.  This  is  a 
flippant  age.  Men  are  rather  triflers  than  tremblers. 
If  there  be  any  doctrine  which  has  peculiar  weight  and 
solemnity  about  it,  they  try  to  pare  it  down  to  less  terri- 
ble proportions.  Sin  is  not  exceeding  sinful  to  them, 
nor  its  punishment  exceeding  terrible.  They  would 
not  have  us  know  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  though  by 
these  very  terrors  we  persuade  men.  But  true  religion 
must  have  a  savour  of  awe  about  it :  ^^  My  heart  stand- 
eth  in  awe  of  thy  word,"  is  the  expression  of  one  that 
knows  God,  and  is  reconciled  to  him.  Let  me  say,  then, 
to  you  who  have  been  thoughtless  and  careless  about 
your  souls  until  now — Ave  earnestly  desire  you  to  consider 
these  words  :    ^^  Stand  in  awe." 

Remember,  iliere  is  a  God :  whatever  you  may  desire 
or  others  may  declare,  there  is  a  God  who  made  you, 
and  in  whose  hand  your  breath  is.  There  is  a  God  that 
sitteth  in  heaven,  who  beholdeth  all  the  sons  of  men  ; 
and  hoAvever  much  you  may  dislike  the  thought,  there  he 


wouj.d  be  saved  from  sm.  259 

is,   and  tlierc  lio  over  will  be,  and  you  will  have  to  deal 
with  him,  and  he  with  you,  before  long. 

God  is  everywhere  present^  at  all  times.  He  has  seen 
all  your  evil  ways,  and  heard  all  your  hard  speeches. 
No  night  is  so  dark  as  to  hide  from  his  eye  ;  no  chamber 
so  retired  as  to  shut  him  out.  lie  has  even  read  your 
thoughts  and  imaginations.  He  notes  all,  and  forgets 
nothing.  All  things  are  ever  present  to  him;  the  days 
of  your  youth,  and  the  years  of  your  manhood  lie  open 
before  him  like  a  book.  If  men  coidd  but  realize  that 
God  is  there,  how  could  they  dare  to  sin  before  his  very 
eyes  ?  If  at  this  moment  any  one  of  my  hearers  who  is 
without  Christ  coidd  only  be  filled  with  this  one  thought, 
''  Thou  God  seest  me,"  surely  he  would  stand  in  awe, 
and  at  least  desire  to  sin  no  more.  Well  may  the 
preacher  speak  very  solemnly  when  he  feels  that  he  is 
surrounded  with  God,  and  that  God  is  within  him  as 
well  as  around  him !  Well  may  his  hearer  tremble  if 
he  feels  that  all  his  thoughts  are  at  this  moment  read  by 
God  !  Stand  in  awe,  I  pray  you,  of  God,  who  is  now 
filling  this  house,  and  is  in  your  own  houses.  Will  you 
sin  in  God's  presence  ?  Can  you  blaspheme  him  to  his 
face  ?  Will  you  disobey  him  while  his  eyes  are  fixed 
upon  you  ?  I  pray  you  stand  in  awe  of  the  eternal  God, 
in  whom  you  liv^e,  and  move,  and  have  your  being. 

Remember  that  this  God,  who  is  everywhere,  and 
sees  everything,  is  your  Judge,  He  is  pure  and  holy, 
and  cannot  bear  iniquity.  He  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
every  day,  and  will  surely  visit  them  for  their  transgres- 
sions. Every  sinful  act  shall  have  its  recompense  of  re- 
ward. Do  not  doubt  it.  The  world  is  all  in  a  tangle 
now,  but  there  will  be  a  day  when  the  Lord  will  draw 
out  a  straight  thread  for  each  man.     To-day  the  wicked 


260  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO   TITOSE    WHO 

prosper^  but  God  v/iil  turn  their  way  upside  down ;  and 
tliougli  tlic  righteous  be  often  under  a  cloud,  he  will 
bring  forth  their  judgment  as  the  noonday.  Men  respect 
aa  earthly  judge ;  therefore,  I  pray  you,  stand  in  awe 
oMhe  Judge  of  all  the  earth. 

Do  not  forget  also  that  your  God  is  almiglity.  He  has 
but^to  will  it,  and  the  strongest  of  us  would  be  crushed 
more  easily  than  a  moth.  There  is  no  escaping  from 
the  Lord  ;  neither  the  heights  of  Carmel  nor  the  depths 
of*l:he  sea  could  afford  shelter  for  a  fugitive  from  the 
Lord.  Neither  can  any  resist  him,  for  none  have  any 
power  apart  from  him.  You  have  heard  his  thunder, 
and  trembled  at  the  bolts  of  his  lightning  ;  behold  how 
dreadfid  is  God  in  arms !  How  dare  you  sin  against  a 
God  so  great  ?  Stand  in  awe.  Even  holy  Job,  when  ho 
came  near  to  the  Lord,  exclaimed,  ""  I  have  heard  of 
thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear ;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth 
thee.  Wherefore  I  abhor  myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and 
ashes.''  How  can  you  feel  him  near  and  not  be  filled 
with  awe  f 

Stand  in  awe  of  God  because  he  is  infinitely  good.  To 
me  personally,  some  little  time  ago,  the  Lord  drew  very 
near  in  a  most  special  and  memorable  providence.  As  I 
saw  the  hand  of  the  Lord  stretched  out  so  marvellously, 
I  felt  my  very  flesh  creep,  not  with  alarm,  but  with  a 
joyful  awe  of  One  who  could  work  so  tenderly  and  con= 
descendingly  for  his  tried  servant.  I  knew  that  he  was 
God  by  his  marvellously  gracious  care  over  me,  and 
nearness  to  my  soul  in  adversity.  Verily  Jehovah  is 
God,  and  a  great  King  above  all  gods.  He  is  to  be  had 
in  reverence  of  them  that  are  round  about  him.  I  know 
now  why  Jacob  said  at  Bethel,  "  How  dreadfid  is  this 
place  !  this  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,   and  this 


WOULD  BE   SAVED  FROM  SIiV.  261 

is  the  gate  of  heaven."  lie  was  filled  with  a  holy  dread 
and  solemn  awe  because  God  had  been  so  near.  I  there- 
fore say  to  you — stand  in  awe  of  God,  because  he  is  in- 
finitely great  and  good.  The  illustration  which  I  quoted 
from  my  own  personal  experience,  I  could  not  withlMd, 
because  it  is,  even  at  this  hour,  one  of  the  most  vivid 
recollections  of  my  life.  God  has  dealt  with  me  very 
graciously.  Oh,  his  great  goodness  !  A  sense  of  it  is 
overwhelming.  We  fear  and  tremble  for  all  the  good- 
ness which  the  Lord  makes  to  pass  before  us.  '  Think 
of  sin  forgiven,  of  righteousness  imputed,  of  spiritual 
life  imparted,  of  that  life  preserved,  supplied,  nurtured. 
Think  of  providence  with  all  mindful  foresight,  and 
abomiding  supplies.  The  love  of  God  should  make  us 
reverent  as  angels,  and  humble  as  penitents.  If  the  im- 
pudence of  pride  might  dare  to  insult  justice,  yet  it 
should  scorn  to  injure  love.  There  is  forgiveness  with 
God,  that  he  may  be  feared :  his  grace,  if  not  his  glory^ 
should  command  the  reverence  of  the  most  obdurate 
hearts.  I  pray  you  stand  in  awe  of  God,  and  sin  not. 
If  thoughts  of  this  kind  could  but  dwell  in  men's  minds, 
they  woidd  surely  perceive  that  sin  is  a  great  wrong  to 
the  Lord,  and  they  would  flee  from  it,  crying  like  Jo- 
seph, ^^  How  can  I  do  this  great  wickedness,  and  sin 
against  God  ?  " 

My  dear  hearers,  stand  in  awe  in  reference  to  a  future 
state.  You  do  not  doubt  the  truth  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  revealed,  that  when  you  die  you  will  not 
cease  to  be.  There  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
both  of  the  ji«?t  and  of  the  unjust :  '^  for  we  must  ail  ap- 
pear before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ."  Oh,  that  all 
pei'sons  would  remember  this  wherever  they  go  !  I  have 
heard  of  a  soldier — I  think  he  was  employed  in  the  siu'- 


262  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS  TO   THOSE   WHO 

vey  of  Palestine — wlio  \Yas  in  tlie  valley  of  Jehoshapliat, 
outside  Jerusalem,  and  some  one  remarked  that  it  was  re- 
ported by  some  that  this  valley  would  be  the  scene  of  the 
last  judgment,  and  in  that  place  the  multitudes  would  be 
gathered.  The  soldier,  hearing  this,  said,  ^^What  a 
crowd  there  will  be  !  I  shall  be  there,  and  I  will  sit  on 
this  stone.'^  He  sat  down  to  realize  the  scene,  and  his 
imagination  acted  so  powerfully  that  he  seemed  to  him- 
self to  be  among  the  throng,  and  to  behold  the  great 
white  throne.  He  was  seen  to  swoon,  and  fall  to  the 
ground.  Do  you  wonder  %  If  any  one  of  us  could,  in 
our  inmost  souls,  behold  that  scene,  should  we  not  be 
overcome  %  I  wish  I  could  so  speak  this  morning  that 
some  of  you  would  picture  that  last  tremendous  day,  for 
which  all  other  days  were  made.  Behold  that  dies  hce.^ 
that  day  of  wrath,  that  day  when  justice  will  sit  upon  the 
throne  !  Behold  it  by  anticipation,  for  it  Avill  soon  be 
upon  you  in  very  deed.  As  surely  as  you  live,  you  will 
live  again  :  and  for  every  act  on  earth  you  must  give  an 
account  in  that  last  assize.  Trifle  not,  for  the  Judge  is 
at  the  door.  We  may  hear  his  trumpets  before  this  ^\^j 
is  over.  Let  not  this  thought  be  driven  from  you ;  rather 
welcome  it,  and  let  it  abide  in  youi'  minds  :  if  you  were 
to  think  of  nothing  else  for  a  time  you  might  be  justified, 
since  it  is  of  such  overwhelming  importance  that  you 
prepare  for  your  final  state.  Shall  a  man  live  and  never 
think  of  the  end  of  life  %  Can  a  man  think  it  wdse  to  oc- 
cupy himself  with  frivolities  thoughout  the  whole  of  his 
earthly  existence  ?  While  he  was  shaping  his  eternal 
condition,  will  he  do  nothing  else  but  sport  %  Will  he 
never  think  of  that  day  when  his  position  shall  be  fixed 
by  the  verdict  of  the  great  Judge  %  O  my  dear  hearers, 
do  not  forget  that  you  have  to  live  in  a  futiu'e  state,  and 


WOULD  BE   SAVED  FROM  SIiV.  2G3 

that  yon  will  see  him  who  died  upon  the  cross,  seated  on 
the  throne,  in  that  day  when  all  nations  shall  be  gathered 
before  him,  and  he  shall  divide  them,  the  one  from  the 
other,  as  the  shepherd  divideth  the  sheep  from  the  goats. 
May  the  thought  of  the  eternal  reward  also  rest  on  your 
minds  !  Hear  ye,  even  now,  that  word  of  the  King  to 
the  righteous — ^^  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit 
the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  Hear,  also,  that  dread  sentence  to  those  on  his 
left  hand,  ^^  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting 
fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  Oh,  think 
of  these  things,  and  '^  stand  in  awe,  and  sin  not  "  !  This 
awe  is  one  of  the  strongest  moral  disinfectants  :  use  it 
largely.  There  is  no  fear  of  your  having  too  much  of  it. 
He  that  has  no  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes  sins  with  a 
high  hand,  but  awe  of  the  Lord  leads  to  purity  of  life. 

II.  In  the  second  place,  David  admonished  the 
ungodly  to  practice  thoughtful  self-examination. 
^^  Commmie  with  your  own  heart  upon  your  bed,  and  be 
still." 

I  am  not  trying,  my  dear  hearer,  to  preach  a  sermon 
this  morning,  but  I  am  longing  to  take  you  by  the  hand, 
and  to  lead  you  in  the  right  way.  I  pray  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  make  you  willing  to  follow  my  gentle  guidance. 
My  dear  friend,  you  are  now  asked  to  thinh  about  your- 
self— ^^  commune  with  your  own  heart."  When  once 
men  choose  the  way  of  evil,  they  run  in  it  with  their 
eyes  shut.  They  do  not  wish  to  consider  ;  it  is  easier  to 
go  blindly  on.  They  Avill  think  about  their  worldly  con- 
cerns, their  profits  and  losses,  their  pleasures  and  amuse- 
ments ;  but  they  refuse  seriously  to  consider  their  condi- 
tion before  God.  O  my  friend,  think  of  what  you  are, 
and  where  you  are,  what  you  have  done,  what  you  are 


264  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

doing,  what  it  will  all  lead  to  !  Are  joii  such  a  fool  that 
you  will  not  consider  %  Then  put  on  the  cap  and  bells, 
and  wear  motley,  and  take  to  your  proper  trade.  And 
yet,  even  if  you  were  a  merry-andrew,  it  would  become 
you  sometimes  to  be  wise  as  well  as  merry,  and  to  take  a 
look  into  the  future,  lest  you  have  to  take  a  leap  in  the 
dark  at  last. 

Especially  think  of  the  state  of  your  heart.  This  is  the 
vital  point.  Are  you  right  with  God  ?  Do  you  serve 
your  Maker  ?  Have  you  truly  repented  of  former  sin  ? 
Have  you  fled  to  Christ  as  your  refuge  ?  Have  you 
been  born  again  ?  Are  you  the  subject  of  sanctifying 
grace  ?  "  Commune  with  your  own  heart  "  upon  these 
essential  points.  He  that  would  have  his  face  clean 
must  look  in  the  glass  to  see  his  spots  5  and  he  that 
would  have  his  heart  clean  must  gaze  into  the  looking- 
glass  of  God's  Word,  that  he  may  discover  his  secret 
faults.  Your  heart  may  be  diseased  while  your  cheek 
seems  ruddy  with  health.  Look  within  you,  man,  and 
be  not  deceived  as  to  the  fountain  of  your  being.  Have 
you  really  passed  from  death  to  life  ?■  Does  the  Spirit 
of  God  of  a  truth  dwell  in  you  ?  Such  questions  as  these 
are  all-important  ;  I  pray  you  answer  them  as  before  the 
Hving  God,  without  partiality  or  negligence. 

Thinh  hy  yourself  alone,  and  in  quiet.  Oh,  how  I 
wish  I  could  induce  you  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  closeted 
with  yourself !  ^'Commune  with  your  own  heart  upon 
your  bed,"  at  that  time  when  companions  are  out  of  the 
way ;  when  the  jest  is  silenced,  and  the  common  talk  is 
hushed.  Get  by  yourself,  when  you  think  of  yourself, 
or  it  will  be  an  impossible  task.  Choose  the  hour  of 
night,  when  all  is  still  around  you,  and  darkness  lends 
its  solemnity.     You  can  forego  a  little  natural  sleep,  if 


WOULD  BE   SAVED  FROM  SIJV.  265 

thereby  you  may  be  aroused  from  the  sleep  of  spiritual 
death.  The  bed  and  sleep  are  instructive  emblems  of 
the  grave  and  death :  they  may  aid  you  in  the  serious 
work  of  examining  your  hearts.  Remember  that,  as  you 
put  off  your  clothes  and  go  to  your  bed,  so  you  must  put 
off  your  body  and  quit  the  scene  of  life's  activities  :  are 
you  ready  for  that  undi-essing?  Make  your  bed  the 
place  of  your  contrition,  even  as  David  did  when  he 
said,  ^^  All  the  night  make  I  my  bed  to  swim."  The 
earth  outside  has  its  dews,  let  your  heart  have  its  tears. 

Think  by  yourself,  of  yourself,  and  then  thinJc  for  your- 
self. You  have  been  carried  away  by  your  companions ; 
you  have  tried  to  think  as  they  think.  The  general 
opinion  of  the  age  may  have  influenced  you  towards  in- 
difference. With  a  family  round  about  you,  you  have 
looked  at  things  too  much  in  the  light  of  business  and 
personal  benefit ;  but  all  this  it  will  be  wise  to  lay  aside. 
As  you  will  have  to  die  alone,  and  to  put  in  a  personal 
appearance  at  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  it  will  be  pru- 
dent to  divest  yourself  of  your  surroundings,  and  ^^  com- 
mune with  your  own  heart."  I  commend  this  text  most 
heartily  to  your  immediate  practice.  If  you  are  unsaved 
— think  rather  than  sleep.  The  tendency  of  most  men 
with  regard  to  eternal  things  is  to  go  to  sleep,  and  let 
matters  drift :  I  pray  you  do  not  so.  I  dare  not  let  you 
take  your  rest  while  all  is  wrong  with  you.  Sleep,  if 
you  like,  in  a  house  that  is  on  a  blaze;  sleep,  if  you  like, 
in  a  ship  that  is  settling  down,  and  rapidly  sinking ;  but 
I  charge  you  do  not  sleep  while  you  are  an  unforgiven 
man,  and  your  soul  is  nearing  the  etenial  woe  :  "  Com- 
mune with  your  own  heart  upon  your  bed " :  use  your 
bed  for  seeking  instead  of  sleeping.  I  remember  the 
time  when  I  dared  not  go  to  sleej:),  for  fear  I  might  wake 


266  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

up  in  hell.  Many  when  under  conviction  of  sin  have  at 
length  resolved  not  to  sleep  until  they  found*  Christ.  I 
wish  that  some  such  feeling  as  that  would  steal  over  you 
at  this  moment. 

Keep  on  thinking  tlU  you  come  to  he  still.  '^  Commune 
with  your  own  heart  upon  your  bed,  and  he  still,''^  Do 
you  know  what  that  means  ?  There  comes  a  time  with 
men  whom  God  is  saving  when  all  grows  quiet  within 
them.  Their  old  pleasures  and  desires  are  hushed  ;  the 
voice  of  the  outside  world  is  still,  and  they  hear  in  the 
silence  of  their  souls  ^^  the  still  small  voice  "  of  con- 
science. Oh,  that  you  were  at  this  moment  still  enough 
to  hear  that  warning  note  !  Memory  also  commences 
her  rehearsals  :  it  tells  of  the  past,  and  brings  forgotten 
things  before  the  soul.  Oh,  that  all  of  you  would  re- 
member and  bethink  yourselves  that  God  requireth  that 
which  is  past.  Best  of  all,  God  speaks  in  the  soul.  It 
was  at  night,  when  yoimg  Samuel  was  on  his  bed,  that 
the  Lord  said  to  him,  ^^  Samuel,  Samuel '' ;  and  it  is  when 
the  heart  at  last  has  grown  still  that  God's  voice  of 
mercy  is  heard  calling  to  the  man  by  name.  Oh,  that 
in  such  a  case  you  may  have  grace  to  answer,  "  Speak, 
Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth  "  ! 

I  beseech  you,  give  yourselves  space  for  thought,  be- 
fore thought  becomes  the  worm  of  eternal  misery  to  you. 
Eemember,  before  you  hear  that  voice  from  heaven 
which  spoke  to  the  rich  man  in  hell,  and  said  to  him, 
^''  Son,  remember."  Ye  slaves  of  fashion  and  frivolity, 
think,  I  pray  you !  Ye  serfs  of  daily  money-grubbing, 
rest  a  while,  and  hear  what  God  the  Lord  shall  speak  to 
you  !  You  can  hardly  hear  the  great  bell  of  St.  Paul's 
when  the  traffic  is  thundering  around,  but  it  soimds  sol- 
emnly in  the  stillness  of  night.     We  who  live   in  the 


WOULD  BE   SAVED   FROM  S/iV.  2G7 

more  remote  suburbs  hear  Big  Ben  of  Westminster  at 
niaiit,  but  we  seldom  note  it  amid  tlie  stir  and  noise  of 
the  day.  Do  give  an  opportunity  for  the  eternal  voices 
to  pierce  the  clamors  of  the  hour.  Do,  for  God's  sake, 
and  for  your  soul's  sake,  hear  what  wisdom  teaches  con- 
cerning everlasting  things  !  O  Lord,  give  grace  to  my 
dear  hearers,  that  they  may  consider  their  ways,  and 
turn  unto  thy  statutes  ! 

III.  Very  briefly,  let  us  note  that  David  gives  a  third 
piece  of  advice,  which  in  essence  means  approach  unto 
God  aright — "  Offer  the  sacrifices  of  righteousneso." 

Now,  I  do  not  quite  know  what  David  himself  may 
have  intended  by  it,  but  this  is  how  I  interpret  it.  Come 
to  God  ;  come  to  God  in  his  own  way  ;  come  as  Israel 
came  to  the  Tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  bringing  their 
sacrifices  with  them. 

When  they  brought  their  sacrifices,  the  first  thing 
they  did  was  to  lay  their  hand  on  the  victim,  and  maJce  a 
confession  of  sin.  Come,  then,  w^ith  broken  and  contrite 
hearts  unto  the  Lord.  ^'  The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a 
broken  spirit."  Own  your  shortcomings  and  transgres- 
sions. Do  not  cloak  or  excuse  your  sins.  Get  to  your 
chamber,  and  tell  the  Lord  what  you  have  done.  Pour 
out  your  hearts  before  him  :  turn  them  upside  dowm,  as 
it  were,  and  let  all  flow  out,  even  to  the  dregs.  Confess 
your  pride  and  unbelief  your  Sabbath-breaking,  your 
dishonesty,  your  falsehood,  your  disobedience  to  parents, 
your  every  breach  of  the  divine  law ;  whatsoever  you 
have  done  amiss,  confess  it  before  him  and  thus  go  to 
him  in  the  only  way  in  which  ho  can  receive  you,  even 
as  sinners  owning  your  guilt. 

Go  also  to  the  Lord  with  gracious  desires  to  be  rid  of 
sin.     Entreat  reconciliation,  saying,  "  I  would  no  longer 


268  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

be  what  I  have  been.  I  throAv  down  the  weapons  of  my 
rebellion,  I  pluck  out  the  plumes  of  m}^  pride  ;  0  Lord, 
I  stand  before  thee,  guilty,  and  I  pray  thee  forgive  me, 
and  then  rid  me  of  the  tyrant  evils  which  now  rule  me  so 
terribly  !  Oh,  that  I  may  sin  no  more  !  If  I  have  been 
a  drunkard,  help  me  from  this  day  to  relinquish  the  in- 
toxicating cup  ;  if  I  have  been  a  swearer,  wash  out  my 
mouth  ;  may  I,  henceforth,  speak  nothing  but  that  which 
will  be  acceptable  to  thee  !  If  I  have  been  unchaste, 
cleanse  my  mind,  that  I  may  keep  my  body  pure  !  "  In 
this  way  come  to  God  with  contrite  hearts.  How  much 
do  I  long  that  you  may  draw  nigh  to  God  with  true  re- 
pentance and  hearty  resolves  to  conquer  sin  ! 

The  main  thing,  however,  is  to  bring  unto  the  Lord 
the  offering  tvhich  he  has  divinely/  appointed  and  provided. 
You  know  what  that  is.  There  is  one  sacrifice  of  right- 
eousness with(;ut  which  you  cannot  be  accepted.  Come 
to  God  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  plead  the  precious  blood 
of  atonement,  and  say,  ^^My  Lord,  for  his  dear  sake  who 
died  upon  the  tree,  receive  thy  wanderer,  and  now  be 
pleased  to  grant  me  that  repentance  and  remission  of 
sins  which  he  is  exalted  to  give.''  My  hearers,  am  I 
talking  so  as  to  reach  your  hearts  ?  If  not,  I  do  not 
want  to  talk  any  longer.  I  had  far  rather  be  silent  lest  I 
minister  to  your  condemnation.  Hearts  that  have  forgot- 
ten your  Lord  till  now,  oh,  may  his  Spirit  constrain  you  to 
return  to  him  this  day  through  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  ! 
If  you  come  through  Christ,  you  will  never  be  cast  out. 
The  father  will  receive  any  sinner  that  pleads  the  name 
of  Jesus  ;  and  Jesus  is  willing  that  you  should  plead  his 
name.  He  died  on  purpose  to  be  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins :   God  grant  that  you  may  accept  him  as  such ! 

Come  to  your  God :  this  is  the  great  necessity  of  the 


WOULD  BE   SAVED   FROM  Sm.  269 

lioiir.  Say,  "  I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  father."  If  the 
prodigal  had  said,  ''  I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  brother." 
he  would  have  made  a  great  mistake,  for  the  elder 
brother  would  have  shut  the  door  in  his  face.  Even  if 
his  brother  had  been  of  a  kinder  sort,  he  could  not  have 
forgiven  the  transgressor :  his  father  alone  could  do  that. 
Come,  then,  to  your  God  with  earnest  prayer  ;  for  it  pre- 
vails with  heaven.  Come  also  with  humble  praise  ;  for 
it  is  much  that  you  are  yet  alive,  and  not  yet  cast  into 
the  pit.  Come  to  your  God  and  Father,  with  the  resolve 
henceforth  to  render  him  your  life's  service,  saying,  "  O 
Lord  oiir  God,  other  lords  beside  thee  have  had  dominion 
over  us :  but  by  thee  only  will  vre  make  mention  of  thy 
name  !  " 

IV.  I  must  now  close  with  the  fourth  point,  which  is, 
in  some  respects,  the  most  important  of  all :  exercise 
FAITH.  When  holy  avre  and  thoughtful  self-communion 
have  led  us  to  seek  the  Lord,  then  we  are  prepared  for 
the  great  precept  which  follows.  It  is  the  command  of 
the  gospel  in  its  Old  Testament  form  :  ''  Put  your  trust 
in  the  Lord."  In  whom  should  a  man  trust  but  in  his 
God  ?  It  may  seem  reasonable  to  trust  our  fellow-creat- 
ure ;  but,  alas  !  man  is  a  frail  thing,  and  to  lean  upon 
him  ensures  a  fall ;  it  is,  therefore,  unreasonable  to  trust 
in  the  creature,  but  to  rely  upon  the  Creator  is  the  dic- 
tate of  pure  reason.  May  God,  the  Holy  Ghost,  lead  you 
at  once  to  a  childlike  faith  in  our  faithful  God  ! 

"Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord."  First,  trust  him  as  U'Ul- 
ing  to  receive  you,  to  forgive  you,  to  accept  you,  and  to 
bless  you.  Are  you  despairing  ?  Do  you  say,  "  There 
is  no  hope  ?  "  "  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord."  Are  you 
saying,  "I  am  without  strength,  and,  therefere,  cannot 
be  saved  ?  "     Why  not  ?     "  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord." 


270  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

Does  the  evil  one  say  that  God  will  not  receive  yon  ? 
^^  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord/'  who  is  infinitely  gracious, 
and  full  of  compassion.  He  saith,  ^'  As  I  live,  saith  the 
Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked; 
but  that  the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live.'' 
Surely,  you  may  trust  in  him  whose  mercy  endureth  fcr 
ever. 

Especially  trust  in  tlic  Lord  as  he  reveals  himself  in  the 
person  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  In  him  you  see  love 
written  out  in  capital  letters.  "Put  ycur  trust  in  the 
Lord"  as  having  provided  the  one  sacrifice  for  sin, 
whereby  he  has  put  away  for  ever  all  the  sins  of  those 
who  believe  in  him,  God  is  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
that  believeth.  Believe  that  the  precious  blood  can  make 
you  whiter  than  snow,  scarlet  sinner  as  you  are.  Come 
with  that  daring  trust  w^hich  ventures  all  upon  the  bare 
promise  of  a  faithful  God.  Say,  "  I  will  go  in  unto  the 
King,  and  if  I  perish  I  perish."  If  you  do  not  trust  in 
Christ,  you  must  be  lost ;  therefore  come  and  try  the 
divine  way  of  salvation.  The  Lord  Jesus  is  God's  un- 
speakable gift,  freely  bestowed  on  all  wdio  by  faith  re- 
ceive him.  Dare  to  grasp  what  God  holds  out  to  you  as 
the  one  hope  of  your  spirit.  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord, 
I  beseech  you.  By  his  agony  and  bloody  sweat,  by  his 
cross  and  passion,  by  his  precious  death  and  burial,  by 
his  glorious  resurrection  and  ascension,  I  entreat  you  to 
trust  the  Son  of  God,  who  has  once  appeared  to  put  away 
sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself. 

Trust  in  the  Lord,  next,  that  hj  the  ivorh  of  his  Holy 
Spirit  he  can  renew  you.  The  glorious  Lord,  who  made 
the  world  out  of  nothing,  can  make  something  out  of  you 
yet.  If  you  are  given  to  anger,  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
"^ake  you  calm  and  loving.     If  you  have  been  defiled 


WOULD  BE  SAVED  FROM  SIN.  271 

with  impurity,  he  can  make  you  pure  in  heart.  If  you 
have  boon  grovelling,  he  can  elevate  you.  I  may  be  ad- 
dressing a  forlorn  man,  \v^ho  thinks  that  nothing  can  be 
made  of  him.  I  tell  you,  you  have  no  idea  what  God 
can  do  with  you.  He  can  put  heavenly  treasure  in 
earthen  vessels.  lie  can  set  you  at  last  among  the 
heavenly  choristers,  that  your  voice,  sweeter  than  that 
of  angels,  may  be  heard  amongst  their  everlasting  sym- 
phonies. He  will  even  here  put  you  among  the  children, 
and  set  you  with  the  princes  of  his  people.  Believe  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  can  create  you  anew,  can  raise  you  from 
your  dead  condition,  and  can  make  you  perfect  in  every 
good  work  to  do  his  will.  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord  for 
this. 

In  fine,  "  Put  your  trust  in  the  Lord  ^^  for  everijtliing. 
Poor  sinner,  when  you  begin  to  trust  God,  you  will  look 
to  him  mainly  to  put  away  your  sin  ;  but  when  that 
boon  is  received,  you  may  go  on  to  trust  him  about  all 
your  affairs.  You  may  look  to  him  concerning  your  pov- 
erty, your  sickness,  your  bereavements,  your  children, 
your  business ;  you  may  trust  him  for  time,  and 
trust  him  for  eternity  ;  trust  him  about  little  things, 
trust  him  about  great  things.  Once  under  the  shadow  of 
his  Avings  you  are  covered  altogether  5  nothing  is  left  out 
in  the  cold.  To  trust  in  God  is  to  be  your  perpetual 
business,  ^^  For  the  just  shall  live  by  faith." 

My  closing  theme  is  this — it  has  been  asserted  by  cer- 
tain of  the  modern  school  that  we  preach  up  salvation  by 
a  simple  intellectual  operation — salvation  by  merely  be- 
lieving a  certain  doctrinal  statement.  This  is  their  way 
of  stating,  or  mis-stating,  justification  by  faith,  which  we 
do  assuredly  preach,  and  preach  most  distinctly  and  con- 
fidently.    We  are  not  responsible   for  their  caricatures 


272  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

of  our  teaching,  but  we  would  be  moved  thereby  to  be 
more  and  more  explicit.  As  far  as  faith  is  an  intellect- 
ual operation,  it  is  simple  enough  5  but  simple  faith  is  no 
trifle.  Fire  is  a  simple  element,  but  it  has  a  measureless 
power.  Connected  with  faith  there  are  forces  of  the 
mightiest  kind  for  influencing  character  and  purifying 
life.  Faith  is  the  surest  of  all  sin-killers :  in  fact,  its 
tendency  is  to  extirpate  sin.  The  moral  and  spirit- 
ual change  which  accompanies  faith,  and  grows  out  of  it, 
is  of  the  most  remarkable  kind.  Faith's  work  in  the 
sold  is  something  to  be  wondered  at,  and  to  be  admired 
to  all  eternity. 

For,  mark,  when  a  man  believes  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  when  he  believes  that  Jesus  so  died  for  him  that 
he  is  effectually  redeemed,  when  he  believes  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  has  cleansed  him,  and  that  he  is  saved,  the  result 
upon  his  heart  and  life  cannot  be  commonplace.  So 
divine  a  persuasion  operates  upon  his  whole  nature.  He 
is  filed  ivitli  adoring  gratitude,  and  that  gratitude  breeds 
an  intense  lovej  which  fervent  love  sets  itself  to  work  for 
the  glory  of  God  by  the  purification  of  the  soul  from  sin. 
'^  My  Jesus  died  because  of  my  sin,"  says  the  pardoned 
sinner,  ^^  therefore  no  sin  shall  abide  in  my  heart. 
Away,  0  sin !  Away,  for  ever."  Some  favorite  sin 
cries,  "  Let  me  lodge  within  thee,"  but  he  cries,  ^^  It 
cannot  be,  for  I  love  Jesus."  Sin  slew  our  Saviour ; 
how  can  we  be  on  friendly  terms  with  it  ?  We  hate  it 
with  perfect  hatred.  Sin  pleadeth,  ^^  Is  it  not  a  little 
one  ?  "  But  the  grateful  heart  sees  great  evil  in  a  little 
sin,  since  the  great  Father  abhors  aU  iniquity.  If  the 
little  sin  was  not  the  spear  which  pierced  the  Lord,  it 
helped  to  make  the  thorn-crown  which  tore  his  blessed 
brow,  and  therefore  away  with  it,  away  with  it. 


WOULD  BE  SAVED  FROM  SIN.  273 

*'  JLe  clearest  idol  I  have  known, 
Whate'erthat  idol  be, 
Help  me  to  tear  it  from  its  throne, 
And  worship  only  thee." 

Nothing  creates  more  indignation  and  revenge  against 
sin  than  a  gratefid  sense  of  ^'  free  grace  and  dying  love." 
Surely  this  is  no  mean  help  towards  moral  purification. 

Faith  in  God  is  effective  for  the  noblest  ends  upon  the 
soul  because  it  elevates  the  mind.  The  man  who  is  hop- 
ing^to  be  saved  by  his  own  works  and  eflforts  begins  on 
earth  and  ends  there  ;  but  the  habit  of  looking  up  to  God 
is  in  itself  a  blessing.  It  is  something  to  have  learned 
to  look  beyond  this  dunghill  of  fallen  humanity,  in  which 
no  one  will  ever  find  a  pearl.  It  is  something,  I  say,  to 
wait  upon  God,  because  your  expectation  is  from  him. 
Trust  in  the  sacred  Trinity  teaches  us  to  be  familiar  with 
higher  and  better  things  than  we  can  find  in  ourselves, 
or  in  this  poor  world.  A  hold  of  heaven  is  a  help  towards 
drawing  us  there.  I  find  that  those  who  do  not  put  their 
trust  in  the  Lord  are  by  no  means  spiritual  men,  nor 
men  whose  conversation  is  in  heaven ;  but  the  faith 
which  they  despise  puts  our  foot  on  the  ladder  the  top 
of  which  reaches  up  to  God. 

Faith  in  God  brings  neiv  ideas  of  GocVs  demands. 
When  we  do  not  know  God,  we  read  his  law,  and  judge 
it  to  be  harsh.  "  This  is  too  strict ;  this  is  too  holy. 
How  can  we  obey  this  hard  law  ?  "  But  when  we  have 
faith  in  God,  we  correct  our  estimate,  and  judge  that 
these  laws  of  our  heavenly  Father  are  all  meant  for  our 
good.  He  only  forbids  what  would  harm  us,  and  he  only 
commands  what  is  most  truly  for  our  benefit.  By  faith 
we  look  upon  the  law  as  a  loving  directory — a  chart  of 
life's  voyage   showing  what  channel  to  follow  and  what 


274  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    WHO 

rock  to  avoid.  ^^  His  commandments  are  not  grievous." 
lie  takes  from  us  no  real  pleasure,  and  imposes  no 
crushing  burden.  To  form  so  much  better  an  estimate 
of  God's  law  is  a  great  moral  change,  is  it  not  %  Must  it 
not  greatly  affect  the  man's  behavior  % 

The  man  who  puts  his  trust  in  the  Lord  sees  the  pleas- 
ures of  sin  in  a  new  liglit ;  for  he  sees  the  evil  which 
follows  on  them,  by  noting  the  agonies  which  they 
brought  upon  our  Lord,  when  he  bare  our  sins  in  his  o^yJl 
body  on  the  tree.  Without  faith  a  man  says  to  himself, 
^^  This  sin  is  a  very  pleasant  thing,  why  should  I  not  en- 
joy it  ?  Surely  I  may  eat  this  fruit  which  looks  so 
charming,  and  is  so  much  to  be  desired."  The  flesh  sees 
honey  in  the  drink,  but  faith  at  once  perceives  that  there 
is  poison  in  the  cup.  Faith  spies  the  snake  in  the  grass, 
and  gives  warning  of  it.  Faith  remembers  death,  judg- 
ment, the  great  reward,  the  just  punishment,  and  that 
dread  word — eternity.  Faith  sees  the  end  as  well  as  the 
beginning.  Faith,  vrhile  the  feast  is  going  on,  reminds 
the  revellers  of  the  reckoning.  Faith  feels  that  she  can- 
not buy  the  transient  joys  of  earth  at  the  coimtless  cost 
of  an  immortal  soul.  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  Or  what 
shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?" 

Faith  destroys  the  power  of  temptation.  When  Satan  ■ 
says,  "  You  are  in  trouble,  and  here  is  an  easy  way  of 
escape  :  only  do  a  little  wrong,  and  you  will  get  a  great 
good."  ^'  No,"  says  faith,  ^'  it  is  God's  business  to  get 
me  out  of  my  trouble,  and  I  will  not  go  to  the  devil  for 
his  aid."  "  Ah  !  "  says  Satan,  ^^  everybody  else  does 
so  !  "  Faith  answers,  "  I  have  to  do  with  nobody  but 
God,  and  that  which  is  right."  Ah,  brethren.!  if  Satan 
should  offer  us  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  if  we  would 


WOULD  BE   SAVED   FROM  SIN.  275 

do  his  bidding,  true  faitli  would  baffle  him  by  saying, 
^^  What  canst  thou  offer  me?  I  have  all  these  things 
already  ;  for  all  things  are  mine  in  Christ  Jesus  my 
Lord."  When  faith  is  in  its  true  place,  covering  the 
believer,  all  the  wicked  suggestions  of  the  evil  one  are 
caught  upon  it  and  quenched  by  it,  like  fiery  darts  which 
fall  upon  a  shield.  We  are  preserved  from  temptation 
by  the  buckler  of  faith. 

Moreover  J  faith  is  always  attended  ivith  a  neiv  nature. 
That  is  a  point  never  to  be  forgotten.  No  man  has  faith 
in  God,  of  a  true  kind,  unless  he  has  been  born  again. 
Faith  in  God  is  one  of  the  first  indications  of  regenera- 
tion. Now,  if  you  have  a  new  and  holy  nature,  you  are 
no  longer  moved  towards  sinful  objects  as  you  were  be- 
fore. The  things  that  you  once  loved  you  now  hate, 
and,  therefore,  you  will  not  rmi  after  them.  You  can 
hardly  understand  it,  but  so  it  is,  that  your  thoughts  and 
tastes  are  totally  changed.  You  long  for  that  very  holi- 
ness which  once  it  was  irksome  to  hear  of,  and  you  loathe 
those  very  pursuits  which  were  once  yom'  delight. 
^Vllen  the  Lord  renews  us  it  is  not  half  done ;  it  is  a 
total  and  radical  change.  If  there  were  no  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  connected  with  faith,  and  if  faith  were 
nothing  more  than  human  assent  to  truth,  we  might  be 
blameworthy  for  preaching  salvation  through  it ;  but 
since  faith  leads  the  van  in  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  turns  the  rudder  of  the  soul,  we  are  more 
and  more  concerned  to  place  faith  where  God  places  it, 
and  Ave  say  witliout  hesitation,  '^  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  Remember  you 
will  thus  be  saved  from  the  power  of  sin,  and  from  the 
practice  of  sin,  by  being  saved  from  the  love  of  sin.  0, 
brothers  and  sisters,  I  am  not  afraid  to  preach  to  you 


27G  PLAIN  DIRECTIONS   TO    THOSE    IVHO 

justification  by  faith  alone  !  Look  to  Jesus  and  live  \ 
I  would  bid  the  sinner  come  to  Jesus  just  as  he  is,  and 
take  him  to  be  his  complete  salvation.  We  do  not 
preach  to  you  the  hope  of  going  to  heaven,  and  yet  keep- 
ing your  sins  :  indeed,  till  sin  is  quitted,  there  can  be  no 
heaven.  Our  Lord  Jesus  has  opened  a  hospital,  and  into 
it  he  receives  all  manner  of  sick  folk  ;  yet  he  does  not 
receive  them  that  they  may  continue  sick,  but  that  he 
may  heal  them,  and  make  them  whole.  He  receives  the 
sinful  that  he  may  make  them  holy.  He  saves  men  by 
changing  their  natures,  and  infusing  into  them  a  heav- 
enly life.  Come,  then,  ye  lej^rous  in  heart,  come  ye  to 
him  Avhose  touch  can  make  you  clean  !  Come,  ye  with 
withered  limbs,  incapable  of  holy  exercise  :  he  can,  with 
a  word,  restore  you !  Come  hither,  ye  blind,  for  he  will 
give  you  sight  !  Yea,  rise,  ye  dead,  for  he  shall  give 
you  life  !  Repentance  and  remission  are  twin  gifts 
which  he  is  exalted  to  bestow.  Come  ye  now  to  him, 
and  receive  out  of  his  fulness  ! 

The  thought  of  death  is  constantly  forced  upon  me  by 
the  largeness  of  this  congregation,  and  the  fact  that  there 
seldom  passes  a  week  but  that  some  one  among  you  is 
taken  away.  Soon  your  bodies  will  lie  beneath  the 
greensward,  and  your  soids  will  be  in  the  eternal  state. 
In  due  time  you  will  stand  where  your  past  will  be  re- 
vived •,  for  the  books  shall  be  opened,  and  you  will  be 
judged  out  of  the  things  which  are  written  in  those 
books.  What  a  record  you  have  written  within  the 
Book  of  remembrance,  to  be  read  aloud  in  that  day  ! 
Oh,  ye  ungodly  ones,  what  will  you  then  do  %  Christ- 
rejecting  sinner,  how  will  you  bear  to  hear  those  items 
read  before  the  assembled  world  ?  If  from  this  pulpit  I 
were  to  read  out  certain  incidents  of  your  past  lives,  1  do 


WOULD   BE   SAVED  FROM  SIN.  211 

not  suppose  you  would  get  up  to  go  out,  for  that  Avould 
convict  you;    but   you  would  want  to   go   very  badly. 
How,  then,  will  you  endure  to  have  your  sins  laid  bare 
by  the   hand  of  God,  while   every   eye  bsholds  them  ? 
How  will  you  bear  that  shame  and  everlasting  contempt 
which  will  be  the  result  of  your  true  character  being 
blazoned  abroad  ?     How  infinitely  good  it  will  be  if  all 
your  past  offences  shall  be   blotted  out !     How  joyful  to 
be  wholly  absolved  by  the  Lord  of  pardons  !     If  by  be- 
lieving in  Christ  Jesus  you  receive   a  change  of  nature, 
and  live  a  different  life,  and  stand  at  the  last  day  accept- 
ed in  the  Beloved,  what  bliss  it  will  be  !     What  joy  will 
be  yours  when  Jesus  comes,  when  his  smile  shall  light  up 
the  universe,  and  when  he  shall  acknowledge  you   before 
the  angels  of  God  !     You  were  with  him   in  his  humilia- 
tion, you  shall  be  with  him  in  his  exaltation,   you  loved 
him  and  served  hi-m  here  beloAV,   you  shall  sit   upon  his 
throne,   and   reign  with  him  for   ever  and  ever.     Ah! 
then,  whatever  little  you  may  have  suffered  for  his  sake, 
will  be  as  nothing   in  comparison  with    the   exceeding 
weight  of  glory.     Whatever  struggling  of  heart  and  pain 
of  soul  you  felt  in  escaping  from  the  sin  which  enthralled 
you  will  be  your  joy  when   the  result  is   seen   in  your 
eternal  perfection.     The  bliss  of  beholding  the   face  of 
our  Beloved  will  be  heaven  enough  for  us.     Even  now  I 
feel  eager  to  quit  this  feeble  body  at  the  bare  thought  of 
being  with  the  Bridegroom  of  my  soid. 

«'  Mine  eyes  shall  see  liini  in  that  clay, 
The  (Jod  th.'it  died  for  me  ; 
And  all  my  risin.!;-  bones  shall  say, 
Lord,  who  is  like  to  thee  ?" 

May  you  and  I  behold  our  Redeemer  when  he  shall  stand 
in  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth  !     Amen. 


Xlll. 


July  22,  1888. 

"And  immediately,  wliile  he  yet  spake,  the  cock  crew.  And  the 
Lord  turned,  and  looked  upon  Peter.  And  Peter  remembered  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  how  he  had  said  uuto  him,  Before  the  cock  crow, 
thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  Peter  went  out,  and  wept  bitter- 
ly."—Luke  sxii.  60-62, 

Peter  had  terribly  fallen.  He  had  denied  his  Master, 
denied  him  repeatedly,  denied  him  with  oaths,  denied 
him  in  his  presence,  while  his  Master  was  being  smitten 
and  falsely  charged  ]  denied  him,  though  he  was  an  apos- 
tle J  denied  him,  though  he  had  declared  that  should  all 
men  forsake  him,  yet  would  he  never  be  offended.  It 
was  a  sad,  sad  sin.  Remember  what  led  up  to  it.  It 
was,  first,  Peter's  presumption  and  self-confidence.  He 
reckoned  that  he  could  never  stumble,  and  for  that  very 
reason  he  speedily  fell.  A  haughty  spirit  goes  before  a 
fall.  Oh,  that  we  might  look  to  the  roots  of  bitter 
flowers,  and  destroy  them  !  If  presumption  is  flourishing 
in  the  soil  of  our  hearts  to-day,  we  shall  soon  see  the  evil 
fruit  which  will  come  of  it.  Reliance  upon  our  firmness 
of  character,  depth  of  experience,  clearness  of  insight,  or 
matureness  in  grace,  will,  in  the  end,  land  us  in  dis- 
graceful failure.  We  must  either  deny  ourselves,  or  we 
shall  deny  our  Lord  :  if  we  cleave  to  self-confidence^  we 
shall  not  cleave  to  him. 

Immediately,  Peter's  denial  was  OTvdng  to  cowardice. 
(278) 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  270 

The  bra^e  Peter  in  the  presence  of  a  maid  T^as  ashamed; 
he  could  not  bear  to  be  pointed  out  as  a  follower  of  the 
Galilean.  He  did  not  know  what  might  follow  upon  it ; 
but  he  saw  his  Loi'd  without  a  friend^  and  felt  that  it  was 
a  lost  cause,  and  he  did  not  care  to  avow  it.  Only  to 
think  that  Peter,  under  temporary  discouragement,  shoidd 
play  the  coward  !  Yet  cowardice  treads  upon  the  heels 
of  boasting  ;  he  that  thinks  he  can  light  the  world  will 
be  the  first  man  to  run  away. 

His  sin  also  arose  from  his  want  of  watchfulness.  His 
Master  had  said  to  him,  ''■  What,  could  ye  not  watch  with 
me  one  hour  ?  "  and  no  doubt  there  was  more  meaning  in 
the  words  than  appeared  on  the  siu'face.  The  Lord 
several  times  said  to  him,  ^^  Pra-y,  that  ye  enter  not  into 
temptation."  The  words  were  repeated  with  deep  im- 
pressiveness,  for  they  were  greatly  needed.  But  Peter 
had  not  watched  :  he  had  been  warming  his  hands.  He 
did  not  pray  :  he  felt  too  strong  in  himself  to  be  driven 
to  special  prayer.  Therefore,  when  the  gusts  of  tempta- 
tion came,  they  fomid  Peter's  boat  unprepared  for  the 
storm,  and  they  drove  it  upon  a  rock. 

When  Peter  first  denied  his  Master  a  cock  crew. 
Peter  must  have  heard  that  crowing,  or  he  would  not 
have  communicated  the  fact  to  the  evangelists  who  re- 
corded it.  But  though  he  heard  it,  he  was  an  example 
of  those  who  have  ears  but  hear  not.  One  woidd  have 
thought  that  the  warning  woidd  have  touched  his  con- 
science ;  but  it  did  not ;  and  when  the  cock  croAved  a 
second  time,  after  he  had  committed  three  denials,  it 
might  not  have  awakened  him  from  his  dreadful  sleep  if 
a  higher  instrumentality  had  not  been  used,  namely,  a 
look  from  the  Lord  Jesus. 

God  keep  us  free  from  this  spirit  of  slumber,  for  it  is 


280  PETER'S  RESTOKATION 

to  the  last  degree  dangerous  !  Peter  was  under  the  dire- 
ful influence  of  Satan,  for  it  was  a  nigkt  wherein  the 
powers  of  darkness  were  specially  active.  ^^  This  is  your 
hour,"  said  Jesus,  "  and  the  power  of  darkness."  That 
same  influence  which  assailed  the  Saviour  imsuccessfully 
— for,  said  he,  '^  the  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and 
hath  nothing  in  me  "—assailed  Peter  with  sad  result  5  for 
the  evil  one  had  something  in  Peter,  and  he  soon  found 
it  out.  The  sparks  from  Satan's  flint  and  steel  fell  upon 
oui'  Lord  as  upon  water  5  but  Peter's  heart  was  like  a 
tinder-box  ;  and  when  the  sparks  fell,  they  fomid  fuel 
there.  Oh,  that  we  may  be  kept  from  the  assaults  of 
Satan  !  ^'  Lead  us  not  into  temptation  "  is  a  necessary 
prayer ;  but  the  next  petition  is  specially  noteworthy — 
*^but  deliver  us  from  the  evil  one."  A  man  never  gets 
anything  out  of  the  devil,  even  if  he  conquers  him.  You 
will  find  in  combat  with  him  that,  even  if  you  win  the 
victory,  you  come  off  with  gashes  and  wounds  of  which 
you  will  carry  the  scars  to  your  grave.  "All  the  while," 
says  ^Ir.  Bunyan,  while  Christian  was  fighting  with 
Apollyon,  "  I  did  note  that  he  did  not  so  much  as  give 
one  smile. '^  Oh  no  !  there  is  nothing  to  smile  abo^it  when 
the  arch-enemy  is  upon  us.  He  is  such  a  master  of  the 
cruel  art  of  soul-wounding  that  every  stroke  tells.  He 
knows  our  weak  places  in  the  present,  he  brings  to  re- 
membrance our  errors  in  the  past,  and  he  paints  in  black- 
est colors  the  miseries  of  the  future,  and  so  seeks  to  de- 
stroy our  faith.  All  his  darts  are  fiery  ones.  It  takes 
all  a  man's  strength,  and  a  great  deal  more,  to  ward  oiF 
his  cunning  and  cruel  cuts.  The  worst  of  it  is  that,  as 
in  Peter's  case,  he  casts  a  spell  over  men,  so  that  they  do 
not  fight  at  all,  but  yield  themselves  an  easy  prey.  Our 
Saviour  said  to  Peter,   "Simon,    Simon,   behold,  Satan 


rETEK'S  RESTORATION.  281 

hath  dcsh'cd  to  have  you,  that  he  may  snt  you  as 
wheat :  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail 
not."  Peter  was  as  much  under  the  power  of  Satan  as 
corn  is  in  the  hand  of  the  man  who  winnows  it.  lie 
went  up  and  do^\^l  in  that  sieve  like  a  helpless  thing,  and 
so  passed  from  simple  falsehood  to  plain  denials  of  his 
Master  with  oaths  and  cursings. 

I  desire  in  this  discourse  to  speak  chiefly  of  Peter's  res- 
toration. Peter  was  down ;  but  he  was  soon  up  again. 
One  writer  says  the  story  should  rather  be  called  Peter's 
restoration  than  Peter's  fall.  His  fall  was  soon  over  :  he 
was  like  a  little  child  learning  to  walk,  scarcely  down 
before  his  mother  has  him  up  again.  It  was  not  a  con- 
tinuance in  sin,  like  that  of  David,  who  remained  for 
months  without  repentance  ;  but  it  was  the  quick  speech 
of  a  man  carried  away  by  sudden  temptation,  and  it  was 
followed  by  a  speedy  repentance.  Upon  his  restoration 
we  are  going  to  meditate. 

It  was  brought  about  by  two  outward  means.  I  like 
to  think  of  the  singular  combination  :  tlie  crowing  of  the 
cock,  and  a  look  from  the  Lord.  When  I  come  to 
preach  to  you,  it  almost  makes  me  smile  to  think  that 
God  shoidd  save  a  soul  through  me.  I  may  find  a  fit 
image  of  myself  in  the  poor  cock.  Mine  is  poor  crov\^- 
ing.  But  as  the  Master's  look  went  with  the  cock's 
crowing,  so,  I  trust,  it  will  go  with  my  feeble  preaching. 
The  next  time  you  also  go  out  to  try  and  win  a  soul  for 
Jesus,  say  to  yourself,  "  I  cannot  do  it :  I  cannot  melt  a 
hard,  rebellious  heart ;  but  yet  the  Lord  may  use  me  ; 
and  if  there  come  a  happy  conjunction  of  my  feeble 
words  with  my  Lord's  potent  look,  then  the  heart  will 
dissolve  in  streams  of  repentance."  Crow  away,  poor 
bird :    if  Jesus  looks  whilst  thou  art  crowing,  thou  wilt 


282  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

not  crow  in  vain,  but  Peter's  heart  will  break.  The  two 
things  are  joined  together,  and  let  no  man  put  them 
asunder — the  commonplace  instrumentality  and  the 
divine  Worker.  Christ  has  all  the  glory,  and  all  the 
more  glory  because  he  works  by  humble  means.  I  trust 
that  there  will  be  this  morning  a  conjunction  of  the 
weakness  of  the  preacher  with  the  strength  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  so  that  stony  hearts  may  be  broken  and  God 
glorified. 

This  morning,  first,  lat  us  holi  at  tJie  Lord  ivlioloolced  ^ 
and  secondly,  let  us  look  into  the  hole  which  the  Lord 
looked  ;  and  then,  thirdly,  let  us  look  at  Feter,  upon  ivhom 
the  Lord  looked.  We  will  be  all  the  while  looking  :  may 
our  Lord  look  upon  us.  JMay  his  Holy  Spirit  work  with 
his  holy  word  ! 

I.      First,    LET   us   LOOK   AT   THE    LOED    WHO    LOOKED 

UPON  Peter. 

Can  you  picture  him  up  there  in  the  hall,  up  yonder 
steps,  before  the  high  priest  and  the  council  ?  Peter  is 
do^vn  below  in  the  area  of  the  house  warming  his  hands 
at  the  fire.  Can  you  see  the  Lord  Jesus  turning  romid 
and  fixing  his  eyes  intently  upon  his  erring  disciple  ? 
What  see  you  in  that  look  ? 

I  see  in  that  look,  first,  that  which  makes  me  exclaim  : 
What  thoughtful  love  !  Jesus  is  bound,  he  is  accused, 
he  has  just  been  smitten  on  the  face,  but  his  thought  is 
of  wandering  Peter.  You  want  all  your  wits  about  you 
when  you  are  before  cruel  judges,  and  are  called  upon  to 
answer  false  charges  ;  you  are  the  more  tried  when  there 
is  no  man  to  stand  by  you,  or  bear  witness  on  your  be- 
half: it  is  natural,  at  such  an  hour,  that  all  your 
thoughts  should  be  engaged  with  your  own  cares  and 
sorrows.     It    would   have    been   no    reproach    had    the 


PETER'S  RESTORAl ION.  283 

tliouglits  of  our  Lord  been  concentrated  on  his  personal 
sufferings  ;  and  all  the  less  so  because  these  were  for 
tlu;  sake  of  others.  But  our  blessed  Master  is  thinking 
of  Peter,  and  his  heart  is  going  out  toward  his  unworthy 
disciple.  That  same  influence  which  made  his  heart  drive 
out  its  store  of  blood  through  every  pore  of  his  body  in  the 
bloody  sweat,  now  acted  upon  his  soid,  and  drove  his 
thoughts  outward  towards  that  member  of  his  mystical 
body  which  was  most  in  danger.  Peter  was  thought  of 
when  the  Redeemer  was  standing  to  be  mocked  and  re- 
viled. Blessed  be  his  dear  name,  Jesus  always  has  an 
eye  for  his  people,  whether  he  be  in  his  shame  or  in  his 
glory.  Jesus  always  has  an  eye  for  those  for  whom  he 
shed  his  blood.  Though  now  he  reigns  in  glory,  he  still 
looks  steadily  upon  his  own  :  his  delight  is  in  them,  and 
his  care  is  over  them.  There  was  not  a  particle  of  self- 
ishness about  our  Saviour.  ^^  lie  saved  others  ;  himself 
he  could  not  save."  He  looked  to  others,  but  he  never 
looked  to  himself  I  see,  then,  in  our  Lord's  looking 
upon  Peter,  a  wondrously  thoughtful  love. 

I  exclaim,  next.  What  a  boundless  condescension  !  If 
our  Lord's  eye  had  wandered  that  day  upon  ^'  that  other 
disciple  "  that  was  known  to  the  high  priest,  or  if  he  had 
even  looked  upon  some  of  the  servants  of  the  house,  we 
should  not  have  been  so  astonished  ;  but  when  Jesus 
turns,  it  is  to  look  upon  Peter,  the  man  from  whom  we 
should  naturally  have  turned  away  our  faces,  after  his 
wretched  conduct.  lie  had  acted  most  shamefully  and 
cruelly,  and  yet  the  Master's  eye  sought  him  out  in 
boundless  pity  !  If  there  is  a  man  here  who  feels  him- 
self to  be  near  akin  to  the  devil,  I  pray  the  Lord  to  look 
first  at  him.  If  you  feel  as  if  you  had  sinned  yourself 
out  of  the  pale  of  humanity,  by  having  cast  off  all  good 


284  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

things,  and  by  having  denied  the  Lord  that  bought  you^ 
yet  still  consider  the  amazing  mercy  of  the  Lord.  If 
you  are  one  of  his,  his  pitying  eye  will  find  you  out ;  for 
even  now  it  follows  you  as  it  did  Hagar,  when  she  cried, 
"  Thou  God  seest  me."  But  oh,  the  compassion  of  that 
look!  When  first  I  understood  that  the  Lord  looked  on 
me  with  love  in  the  midst  of  my  sin,  it  did  seem  so  won- 
derfid  !  He  whom  the  heavens  adore,  before  whose  sight 
the  whole  universe  is  stretched  out  as  on  a  map,  yet 
passes  by  all  the  glories  of  heaven  that  he  may  fix  his 
tender  gaze  upon  a  wandering  sheep,  and  may  in  great 
mercy  bring  it  back  again  to  the  fold.  For  the  Lord  of 
glory  to  look  upon  a  disciple  who  denies  him  is  boundless 
condescension ! 

But  then,  again,  ivliat  tender  ivisdom  do  I  see  here  ! 
'^  The  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter."  He'  knew 
best  what  to  do  :  he  did  not  speak  to  him,  but  looked 
upon  him.  He  had  spoken  to  Peter  before,  and  that 
voice  had  called  him  to  be  a  fisher  of  men  :  he  had  given 
Peter  his  hand  before,  and  saved  him  from  a  watery 
grave  when  he  was  beginning  to  sink.  But  this  time  he 
gives  him  neither  his  voice  nor  his  hand,  but  that  which 
was  equally  effectual,  and  intensely  suitable,  he  lent  him 
his  eye  :  '^  The  Lord  looked  upon  Peter."  How  wisely 
does  Christ  always  choose  the  way  of  expressing  his  af- 
fection, and  working  our  good  !  If  he  had  spoken  to 
Peter  then,  the  mob  would  have  assailed  him,  or  at  least 
the  ribald  crowd  would  have  remarked  upon  the  sorrow 
of  the  Master,  and  the  treachery  of  the  discij)le  :  our 
gracious  Lord  will  never  needlessly  expose  the  faults  of 
his  chosen.  Possibly  no  words  could  have  expressed  all 
that  was  tlirown  into  that  look  of  compassion.  Why, 
brethren,  a  volume  as  big  as  the  Bible  is  contained  with- 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  285 

in  that  look  of  Jesus.  I  defy  all  the  tongues  and  all  the 
pens  in  the  woi'kl  to  tell  us  all  that  our  divine  Lord 
meant  by  that  look.  Our  Saviour  employed  the  most 
prudent,  the  most  comprehensive,  the  most  useftd  method 
of  speaking  to  the  heart  of  his  erring  follower.  He 
looked  volumes  into  him.  His  glance  was  a  divine  hier- 
oglyphic full  of  unutterable  meanings,  which  it  conveyed 
in  a  more  clear  and  vivid  way  than  vrords  could  have 
done. 

As  I  think  of  that  look  again,   I  am  compelled  to  cry 
out:    What  divine  2)0tver  is  here!     Why,  dear  friends, 
this  look  worked  wonders.  I  sometimes  preach  with  all  my 
sold  to  Peter,  and,  alas  !  he  likes  my  sermon  and  forgets 
it.     I  have  kno^^^l  Peter  read   a  good  book  full  of  most 
powerful  pleading,  and  when  he  has  read  it  through,  he 
has  shut  it  up  and  gone  to  sleep.     I  remember  my  Peter 
when  he  lost  his  wife,  and  one  would  have   thought  it 
would  have  touched  him,  and  it  did,  with  some  natural 
feeling  ;  yet  he  did  not  return  to  the  Lord,  whom  he  had 
forsaken,  but  continued   in  his  backsliding.     See,  then, 
how  our  Lord  can  do  with  a  look  what  we  cannot  do  with 
a  sermon,  what  the  most  powerful  writer  cannot  do  with 
hundreds  of  pages,   and  what  affliction   cannot   do  with 
even  its  heaviest  stroke.     The  Lord  looked,  and  Peter 
wept   bitterly.     I  cannot  help  thinking  with  Isaac  Wil- 
liams that  there  is  a  majestic  simplicity  in  the  expression 
here  used — ^^  The  Lord   turned  and  looked  upon  Peter. 
And  Peter  went    out,  and  wept   bitterly."     The  passage 
reminds  us   of  that   first  of  Genesis  :    "  And  God  said. 
Let  there  be  light :    and  there  was  light.'-     As  the  Lord 
looked  unto  the  host  of  the  Egyptians,  and  troubled  the 
Egyptians,  so  did  he  now  look  into  Peter's  heart,  and  his 
thoughts    troubled  him.     Oh,  the   power    of  the    Lord 


286  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

Christ !  If  there  was  this  power  about  him  when  he  was 
bound  before  his  accusers,  what  is  his  power  now  that  he 
is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost  them  that  come  unto 
God,  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
for  them  %  In  that  look  there  was  divinity.  The  Son 
of  God  looked  upon  Peter  :  the  text  does  not  use  the 
name  Jesus,  but  it  expressly  says,  "  The  Lord  turned 
and  looked  upon  Peter.'^  That  divine  look  did  the 
deed. 

Let  me  beg  you  to  note  ivhat  sacred  teaching  is  here. 
The  teaching  is  of  practical  value,  and  should  be  at  once 
carried  out  by  the  followers  of  Jesus.  You,  dear  friend, 
are  a  Christian  man  or  a  Christian  woman  ;  you  have 
been  kept,  by  divine  grace,  from  anything  like  disgrace- 
fid  sin.  Thank  God  it  is  so.  I  dare  say,  if  you  look 
within,  you  will  find  mu.ch  to  be  ashamed  of;  but  yet 
you  have  been  kept  from  presumptuous  and  open  sins  ! 
Alas  !  one  who  was  once  a  friend  of  yours  has  disgraced 
himself:  he  was  a  little  while  ago  a  member  of  the 
church,  but  he  has  shamefully  turned  aside.  You  cannot 
excuse  his  sin  ;  on  the  contrary,  you  are  forced  to  feel 
great  indignation  against  his  folly,  his  untruthfulness,  his 
wickedness.  He  has  caused  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  to 
blaspheme,  and  has  done  awful  mischief  to  the  cause  of 
righteousness.  Now  I  know  what  will  be  suggested  to 
you.  You  will  be  inclined  to  cut  his  acquaintance,  to 
disown  him  altogether,  and  scarcely  to  look  at  him  if  you 
meet  him  in  the  street.  This  is  the  manner  of  men,  but 
not  the  manner  of  Jesus.  I  charge  you,  act  not  in  so  un- 
Christlike  a  manner.  The  Lord  tui-ned,  and  looked  on 
Peter ;  will  not  his  servants  look  on  him  1  You  are  not 
perfect  like  your  Lord  ;  you  are  only  a  poor  sinful  crea- 
ture like  your  fallen  brother.     What !  are  you  too  proud 


PETER'S  RESTORATIOy.  287 

to  look  at  the  fallen  one  %  Will  you  not  give  liim  a 
helping  hand  \  Will  you  not  try  to  bring  him  back  %  The 
worst  thing  you  can  do  with  a  backslider  is  to  let  him  keep 
on  sliding  back.  Your  duty  should  be  your  pleasure, 
and  your  duty  is  to  ''  restore  such  a  one  in  the  spirit  of 
meekness,  remembering  thyself  also,  lest  thou  also  be 
tciiipted."  0  brothers  and  sisters,  it  is  a  very  little 
thing  that  has  kept  some  of  us  from  turning  aside  unto 
folly.  One  grain  more  and  the  scale  would  have  turned 
in  favor  of  a  great  fall.  Our  steps  have  well-nigh  slipped. 
When  we  are  proud  of  our  sure  standing,  the  Lord  may 
well  be  angry  with  us  for  our  vanity,  and  he  may  justly 
say,  ^'  How  can  I  endure  this  pride  %  I  have  taken 
great  care  of  this  man,  and  watched  over  him  to  keep 
him  out  of  sin,  and  now  he  takes  the  credit  of  it  all,  and 
plays  the  great  man,  and  fancies  that  he  will  be  defiled 
if  he  associates  with  my  poor  wandering  children.'' 
Which,  think  you,  is  worse  in  God's  sight,  the  sudden 
fall  into  sin,  or  the  long-continued  pride,  which  boasts 
itself  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  looks  contemp- 
tuously upon  erring  ones  ?  It  is  not  my  office  to  become 
a  measurer  of  sins  ;  but  I  would  earnestly  enforce  this 
plain  duty  :  since  our  own  Lord  and  Master  looked  on 
backsliding  Peter,  let  us  seek  out  our  wandering  breth- 
ren. 

One  more  lesson  :  observe  xcliat  heavenly  comfort  is 
here  :  "  The  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter  "  ;  yes 
Jesus  looks  upon  sinners  still.  The  doctrine  of  God's 
omniscience  is  far  oftener  set  forth  in  a  hard  way  than  in 
a  cheering  way.  Have  you  never  heard  a  sermon  from  \ 
^'  Thou  God  seest  me,''  of  which  the  pith  was — Therefore 
tremble,  and  be  afraid  ?  That  is  hardly  fair  to  the  text ; 
tor  when  Hagar  cried,  '^  Thou  God   seest  me,"  it  was 


288  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

because  the  Lord  had  interposed  to  help  her,  when  she 
had  fled  from  her  mistress.  It  was  comfort  to  her  that 
there  she  also  had  looked  after  him  that  had  looked  upon 
her.  There  is  a  dark  side  to  '^  Thou  God  seest  me  " ; 
but  it  is  not  half  so  dark  as  it  would  be  if  God  did  not 
see  us.  It  is  true,  0  sinner,  that  God  has  seen  your  sin, 
and  all  the  aggravations  of  it ;  but  it  is  also  true  that  as 
he  sees  your  ruin,  your  misery,  your  sadness,  he  has 
compassion  on  you.  He  sees  your  sin  that  he  may  remove 
it,  and  make  you  clean  in  his  sight.  As  the  Lord  looked 
upon  Peter,  so  he  looks  upon  you.  He  has  not  turned 
his  back  on  you;  he  has  not  averted  the  gaze  of  his  pity. 
He  sees  to  the  bottom  of  your  heart,  and  reads  all  your 
thoughts.  You  have  not  to  go  about  to  find  out  God — he 
is  looking  upon  you.  '^  He  is  not  far  from  every  one  of 
us  " ;  he  is  within  eyesight.  You  are  to  look  to  him  ; 
and  if  you  do,  your  eyes  will  meet  his  eyes,  for  already " 
he  looks  upon  you, 

I  think  we  have  gathered  much  from  this  brief  look 
at  the  Lord  who  looked  upon  Peter.  I  doubt  not  that 
had  we  more  time  and  more  insight,  we  should  see 
greater  things  tha,n  these. 

n.  Now  let  us  go  on  to  the  second  point,  and  see 
whether  we  cannot  gather  still  more  instruction.     Let  us 

LOOK  IXTO  THE  LOOK  WHICH  THE    LORD  GAVE  TO   PeTER. 
Help  us  again,  most  gracious  Spirit ! 

That  look  was,  first  of  all,  a  marvellous  refresliment  to 
Feter'^s  memory,  '^  The  Lord  turned,  and  looked  upon 
Peter."  What  a  sight  it  must  have  been  for  Peter  ! 
Our  dear  Master's  face  Avas  that  night  all  red  from  the 
bloody  sweat.  He  must  have  appeared  emaciated  in 
body  :  his  eyes  weary  vrith  want  of  sleep,  and  his  Avhole 
countenance  the  vision  of  grief.     If  ever  a  picture  of  the 


PETER'S  RES'rOKATIOJ^r.  289 

Man  of  Sorrows  could  have  been  drawn,  it  should  have 
been  taken  at  that  moment  when  the  Lord  turned  and 
looked  upon  Peter.  By  torchlight  and  the  flickering 
flame  of  tlie  fire  in  the  court  of  the  hall  of  Caiaphas  Peter 
saw  a  vision  which  would  never  fade  from  his  mind.  He 
saw  the  man  whom  he  loved  as  he  had  never  seen  him 
before.  This  was  he  who  called  him,  when  he  was  fish- 
ing, to  become  a  fisher  of  men  ;  this  was  he  who  bade 
him  spread  the  net,  and  caused  him  to  take  an  incredible 
quantity  of  fishes,  insomuch  that  the  boat  began  to  sink, 
and  he  cried  out,  '•''  Depart  from  me ;  for  I  am  a  sinful 
man,  0  Lord ;  "  this  was  he  who  had  made  him  walk  on 
the  water,  and  at  other  times  had  rebuked  the  winds,  and 
raised  the  dead.  This  was  he  with  whom  Peter  had  been 
upon  the  mount  of  transfiguration  !  Truly  there  was  a 
wonderful  change  from  the  glistening  whiteness  of  the 
mount  to  the  ghastliness  of  that  sad  hoiu' !  Though  the 
lineaments  of  that  reverend  face  were  distained  with 
blood,  yet  Peter  could  tell  that  it  was  the  selfsame  Lord 
with  whom  he  had  enjoyed  three  years  of  intimate  inter- 
course and  tender  unveiling.  All  this  must  in  a  moment 
have  flashed  upon  poor  Peter's  mind  ;  and  I  do  not  wonder 
that  in  the  recollection  of  it  all  he  went  out  and  wept  bit- 
terly. He  did  love  his  Lord ;  his  denial  v\^as  not  of  the 
heart,  but  of  the  tongue;  and  therefore  as  all  the  grounds 
of  his  faith  came  before  his  mind  anew,  his  heart  was 
brokon  into  a  thousand  pieces  with  grief  that  he  should 
have  been  false  to  such  a  friend.  Yes,  that  look  awoke 
a  thousand  slumbering  memories,  and  all  these  called 
upon  the  sincere  heart  of  Peter  to  repent  of  its  ungener- 
ous weakness. 

Next,  that  turning  of  the  Master  was  a  sprclal  reminder 
of  his  wan  I  in  J  ivords,     Jesus  did  not  say  it  in  words,  but 


290  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

he  did  more  than  say  it  by  his  look.  "  Ah,  Peter  !  did 
not  I  tell  you  it  would  be  so  ?  You  said,  '•  Though  all 
men  shall  be  offended  because  of  thee,  yet  will  I  never  be 
offended.'  Did  I  not  tell  thee  that  before  cock-crowing 
thou  wouldst  deny  me  thrice  %  "  Ko  rebuke  was  uttered ; 
and  yet  the  tender  eye  of  the  Lord  had  revealed  to  Peter 
his  own  extreme  folly,  and  his  Master's  superior  wisdom. 
Now  he  saw  his  own  character,  and  perceived  his  Lord's 
discernment.  It  was  a  prophecy,  and,  like  all  other 
prophecies,  it  was  miderstood  after  it  was  fulfilled.  We 
read  that  ''  Peter  remembered  the  word  of  the  Lord,  how 
he  said  unto  him,  Before  the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny 
me  thrice."  It  is  clear,  then,  that  our  Lord's  look  was  a 
special  reminder  of  his  former  words :  it  stirred  up 
Peter's  mind  by  way  of  remembrance,  and  made  him 
see  hov/  foolish  he  had  been,  and  hovv^  inexcusable  was 
his  fault. 

Surely  it  was^  also,  a  moving  appeal  to  Pde/s  heart,  I 
bade  you  notice  just  now,  in  the  reading  of  the  chapter, 
that  this  story  of  Peter  is  singularly  interwoven  into  the 
narrative  of  our  Saviour's  passion  :  it  is  so  interwoven 
because  it  constitutes  an  essential  part  of  that  passion. 
We  must  not  regard  it  as  an  accidental  incident,  it  was 
part  and  parcel  of  that  grief  which  he  had  to  bear  when 
he  stood  in  our  place  and  stead.  It  was  written  of  old, 
'^  Smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered;" 
and  this  scattering  of  the  sheep,  of  which  Peter  was  a 
notable  instance,  was  one  of  the  bitter  ingredients  of  our 
Redeemer's  mental  anguish.  "  Lover  and  friend  'hast 
thou  put  far  from  me  "  is  his  complaint  in  the  Psalm. 
When  the  Saviour  showed  himself  to  Peter  with  aU  those 
lines  of  grief  upon  his  face,  he  seemed  to  say  to  him, 
"  Canst  thou  deny  me  now  ?     I  am  bound  for  thee,  and 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  291 

dost  tliou  deny  me!  I  stand  here  to  be  adjudged  to 
death  for  thee,  and  dost  thou  deny  me  %  Now  is  the  hour 
of  mine  agony,  and  dost  thou  deny  me  % "  The  Lord 
could  not  have  looked  at  Peter  without  creating  strong 
emotion  in  the  breast  of  the  weak  disciple  who  now  found 
himself  in  so  sad  a  plight.  That  look  touched  very  ten- 
der chords.  There  was  no  need  for  a  single  word  of  ap- 
peal:  that  look  sufficed  to  stir  the  deeps  of  Peter's 
nature. 

What  do  you  think  that  look  chiefly  said  %  My  thought 
about  it,  as  I  turned  it  over,  was  this  :  when  the  Lord 
looked  upon  Peter,  though  he  did  refresh  his  memory, 
and  make  an  appeal  to  his  conscience,  yet  there  was  still 
more  evidently  a  glorious  manifestation  of  love.  If  I  may 
be  permitted  humbly  and  reverently  to  read  what  was 
written  on  my  Master's  face,  I  think  it  was  this  :  '^  And 
yet  I  love  thee,  Peter,  I  love  thee  still!  Thou  hast 
denied  me,  but  I  look  upon  thee  still  as  mine.  I  cannot 
give  thee  up.  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting 
love,  and,  notwithstanding  all  thine  ill-conduct  towards 
me,  I  am  looking  for  thee,  and  expecting  to  receive  thee. 
I  have  not  turned  my  back  on  thee.  Behold,  I  look 
towards  thee  with  tender  regard,  foreseeing  that  thou  wilt 
yet  serve  me,  and  prove  the  truth  of  thy  devotion  to  me. 
Despair  not,  0  Peter,  for  I  will  receive  thee  again,  and 
thou  shalt  glorify  me."  Judging  v/hat  would  break  my 
heart  the  soonest  if  I  had  thus  denied  my  Master,  it  seems 
to  mo  that  I  should  be  most  affected  by  his  saying  to  me, 
^^  And  yet,  despite  thy  sin,  I  love  thee  still.''  Love  is  the 
great  heart-breaker.  Immutable  love  is  that  divine  ham- 
mer which  breaks  the  rock  in  pieces.  Though  a  man 
should  have  sinned  himself  into  great  hardness  of  heart, 
yet  almighty  love  can  soften  him.     Who  can  resist  the 


292  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

charms  of  grace  unchangeable  ?  Sharper  than  a  sword 
is  a  look  of  love  :  more  fierce  than- coals  of  juniper  are 
the  flames  of  love.  One  said,  the  other  day,  sj)eaking 
of  a  person  who  has  gone  awfully  astray  after  having 
been  a  preacher  of  the  Word,  ^'  If  I  did  not  believe  in 
the  doctrine  of  unchanging  love  I  do  not  think  I  dare 
pray  for  him ;  but  since  I  believe  that  God  will  bring 
him  back  again,  I  pray  with  humble  confidence  that  he 
v/ill  be  restored."  That  which  is  an  encouragement  to 
prayer  for  others  will  be  a  help  towards  our  retm-n  if  we 
have  gone  astray.  I  love  to  believe  that  my  Lord  will 
bring  his  wanderers  back.  0  ye  who  are  anxious  to  re- 
turn to  him,  let  this  cheer  you — "  Yet  doth  he  devise 
means  that  his  banished  be  not  expelled  from  him." 
This  doctrine  wins  men  back.  There  are  wicked  men 
who  turn  it  into  an  argument  for  continuing  in  sin  ;  but 
their  damnation  is  just.  True  men  will  see,  in  the  meas- 
ureless and  unchanging  love  of  Christ,  a  reason  which 
will  put  wings  to  their  feet  when  they  hasten  back  to  him 
from  whom  they  have  gone  astray. 

Again  :  this  look  penetrated  Feterh  inmost  lieart.  It  is 
not  every  look  that  we  receive  that  goes  very  deep.  I 
look  with  eyes  of  deep  afi*ection  at  men  from  this  pulpit, 
and  I  perceive  that  they  know  my  meaning ;  but  they 
soon  shake  it  ofi".  But  our  Saviour  has  an  eye  to  which 
the  joints  and  marrow  are  visible.  He  looks  into  the 
secret  chambers  of  the  soul;  for  his  look  is  a  sunbeam, 
and  bears  its  own  light  with  it,  lighting  up  the  dark 
places  of  our  nature  by  its  own  radiance.  Peter  could 
not  help  feeling,  for  he  was  pricked  in  the  heart  by  the 
arrow  of  Christ's  glance.  IIow  many  persons  are  aff'ected 
by  religion  only  in  the  head  !  It  docs  not  afi'ect  their 
heart  and  life.     I  am  grieved  when  I  hear  of  some  of  you, 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  293 

who  are  regular  hearers,  and  take  pleasure  In  my  preach- 
ing, and  yet,  after  many  years,  you  are  not  a  bit  better. 
You  have  had  spasms  of  improvement,  but  they  have 
ended  in  nothing.  You  go  back  to  the  mire  after  you 
have  been  washed.  You  are  a  hearer  of  the  gospel,  and 
yet  a  drunkard.  Your  voice  is  heard  in  a  psalm,  but 
it  may  also  be  heard  in  an  oath.  It  is  a  shocking 
thing  ;  but  I  have  done  my  best.  I  can  preach  to  your 
ears,  but  I  cannot  look  into  your  hearts.  Oh,  that  my 
Lord  would  give  such  a  glance  at  you  this  morning  as 
should  dart  light  into  you,  and  cause  you  to  see  your- 
self, and  to  see  him,  and  then  the  tears  would  fill  your 
eyes  ! 

One  fact  may  not  escape  our  notice:  our  Lord's  look 
,^  at  Peter  was  a  revival  of  all  Feter^s  looking  unto  Jcsiis, 
The  Lord's  look  upon  Peter  took  effect  because  Peter 
was  looking  to  the  Lord.  Do  you  catch  it  ?  If  the 
Lord  had  turned  and  looked  on  Peter,  and  Peter's  back 
had  been  turned  on  the  Lord,  that  look  would  not  have 
reached  Peter,  nor  affected  him.  The  eyes  met  to  pro- 
duce the  desired  result.  Notwithstanding  all  Peter's  v/an- 
derings,  he  was  anxious  about  his  Lord,  and  therefore 
looked  to  see  what  was  done  with  him.  Even  while  he 
warmed  his  hands  at  the  fire,  he  kept  looking  into  the 
inner  hall.  His  eyes  were  constantly  looking  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  Lord  Jesus.  While  he  wandered  about 
among  the  maids  and  serving- men,  and  got  talking  to 
them,  fool  that  he  was ;  yet  still  he  would  perpetually 
steal  a  glance  that  way  to  see  how  it  fared  with  the  man 
he  loved.  He  had  not  given  up  the  habit  of  looking  to 
his  Lord.  If  he  had  not  still,  in  a  measure,  looked 
to  his  Master,  how  would  the  look  of  Jesus  have  been 
observed  by  him  ?     His  eye  must  look  through  your  eye 


294  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

to  get  to  your  heart.  Tlie  remainders  of  faith  are  the 
sparks  among  the  ashes  of  piety,  and  the  Lord  blows  on 
these  to  raise  a  fire.  If  there  is  a  poor  soid  here  that, 
despite  his  backsliding,  can  yet  feel,  ^^  I  am  trusting  in 
Jesus,  and  if  I  perish,  I  will  perish  there,''  there  is  hope 
for  that  soul.  If  you  have  given  up  the  outward  forms 
of  religion  it  is  a  grievous  fault :  but  if  you  still  inward- 
ly look  to  the  Crucified,  there  is  something  in  you  to 
work  upon  ;  there  is  an  eye  which  can  receive  the  look 
of  Jesus.  It  is  through  the  eye  that  looks  to  Jesus  that 
Jesus  looks^  and  lets  fresh  light  and  hope  into  the  soid. 
Oh  that  you  who  have  this  lingering  faith  in  the  Lord 
may  now  receive  a  look  from  him  which  shall  work  in 
you  a  bitter,  salutary,  saving  repentance,  without  which 
you  can  never  be  restored  % 

This  hole  tvas  altogether  hcttveen  the  Lord  and  Fetcr. 
Nobody  knew  that  the  Lord  looked  on  Peter,  except 
Peter  and  his  Lord.  That  grace  which  saves  a  soul  is 
not  a  noisy  thing ;  neither  is  it  visible  to  any  but  the 
receiver.  This  morning,  if  the  grace  of  God  comes  to 
any  one  of  you  in  power,  it  wiU  be  unperceived  by 
those  who  sit  on  either  side  of  you  in  the  pew :  they 
will  hear  the  same  words,  but  of  the  divine  operation 
which  accompanies  them  they  will  know  nothing :  the 
eye  of  the  Lord  will  not  speak  to  them  as  it  is  speaking 
to  the  awakened  one.  Do  you  know  anything  of  the 
secret  love-look  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ? 

The  whole  process  may  not  have  occupied  more  than 
a  second  of  time.  "  The  Lord  turned,  and  looked  on 
Peter."  It  took  less  time  to  do  than  it  takes  to  tell. 
Yet  in  that  instant  an  endless  work  was  done.  How 
soon  can  Jesus  change  the  heart !  ^^  He  spake  and  it 
was  done  :"  I  venture  to  alter  that  verse,  and  say,  "He 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  295 

looked,  and  it  was  done."  Lord,  look  on  sinful  Peter 
now  !  Work  a  miracle  with  thine  eje  !  Even  here,  let 
some  sinner  look  to  thee  because  thou  hast  looked  on 
him. 

III.  Now  I  must  go  to  my  third  point :  let  US   LOOK 

AT  PETER  AFTER  THE  LORD  HAD  LOOKED  AT  HIM.   What 

is  Peter  doing  %  When  the  Lord  looked  on  Peter  tlie 
first  thing  Feter  did  tvas  to  feel  aivaJcened.  Peter's  mind 
had  been  sleeping.  The  charcoal  fire  had  not  done  him 
much  good,  the  fumes  of  it  are  evil.  The  dust  of  Satan's 
sieve  had  got  into  his  ejes.  He  was  confused  with  very 
sorrow  for  his  dear  Master,  whom  he  truly  loved.  Peter 
was  hardly  Peter  that  night.  I  think  I  had  better  say, 
Peter  was  too  much  Peter,  and  his  mind  had  more  of 
Peter's  stone  in  it,  than  of  Christ's  flesh.  He  had  for- 
gotten that  he  was  an  apostle  ;  he  had  forgotten  that 
which  he  had  declared  when  the  Lord  said  to  him, 
'^  Blessed  art  tliou,  Simon  Barjona :  for  flesh  and  blood 
hath  not  revealed  this  unto  thee."  Again  I  remind  you 
how  significantly  it  is  written,  ^^  The  Lord  tm'ned,  and 
looked  upon  Peter  "  ;  for  it  hints  that  Peter  now  saw  his 
Lard's  Deity  through  the  veil  of  his  humiliation  and 
anguish.  He  had  forgotten  his  Lord's  Deity,  and  thus 
he  had,  in  thought,  denied  his  Lord.  He  was  off  the 
lines,  and  was  in  a  sleepy  state.  He  was  what  Paul 
calls  "  bewitched  "  and  under  the  influence  of  a  spiritual 
soporific,  administered  by  Satan.  The  Lord's  look  brought 
him  to  his  batter  self,  and  aroused  all  the  spiritual  life 
which  had  been  dormant  in  him  :  "  Peter  remembered," 
and  by  this  remembrance  he  was  restored. 

The  next  effect  was,  it  tooJc  away  all  Peter^s  foolhardi- 
ness  from  him,  Peter  had  made  his  way  into  the  high 
priest's  hall,  but  now  he  made  his  way  out  of  it.     He 


296  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

had  not  felt  in  any  clanger  tliougli  in  tlie  worst  of  com- 
pany. What  did  he  care  for  the  girl  that  kept  the  door  % 
Surely  he  was  too  much  of  a  man  to  mind  her  remarks. 
What  did  he  care  for  the  men  that  were  round  the  fire  % 
They  were  rough  fellows,  but  he  had  been  a  fisherman, 
and  quite  able  to  cope  with  the  priest's  bailiifs.  But 
now  the  brag  is  gone  out  of  him.  No  sooner  had  Jesus 
looked  upon  him  than  Peter  declined  all  further  risks. 

Now  he  shows  the  better  part  of  valor,  and  with 
great  discretion  quits  the  dangerous  society  of  the  high 
priest's  j)alace.  Revival  of  grace  in  the  heart  is  the 
death  of  presumption.  The  man  who  runs  risks  wdth  his 
soul  is  not  in  a  right  state  of  mind.  Perhaps  the  Saviour's 
glance  conveyed  a  hint  to  Peter  that  he  had  no  business 
where  he  was.  It  may  have  seemed  to  say  to  him, 
^^  You  had  better  be  gone  from  these  surroundings." 
At  any  rate,  that  was  the  effect  it  produced.  That  pal- 
ace in  which  the  Lord  fared  so  badly  could  not  be  a 
fit  place  for  a  disciple.  To  be  warming  himself  at  the 
fire  was  quite  inconsistent  for  Peter  while  Jesus  was 
being  mocked  of  his  enemies.  A  sight  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  makes  many  things  seem  incongruous  which  else 
might  appear  right  enough.  All  Peter's  daring  vanish- 
ed 5  he  turned  his  back  on  maids  and  men,  and  went 
out  into  the  darkness  of  the  night.  We  do  not  hear  of 
his  coming  near  the  cross  ;  in  fact,  we  hear  no  more  of 
him  till  the  resurrection  morning,  for  Peter  was  sensi- 
ble enough  to  feel  that  he  could  not  trust  himself  any 
more.  He  placed  himself  in  the  background,  till  his 
Lord  summoned  him  to  the  front.  I  wish  that  some  re- 
ligious professors  whose  lives  have  been  questionable 
had  grace  enough  to  do  the  same.  When  I  see  a  man 
who  has  sinned  grievously  pushing  himself  speedily  to 


PETER'S  RESTORATION.  297 

the  front,  I  cannot  believe  that  he  has  a  due  sense  of  the 
evil  he  has  wrought,  or  of  his  own  unfitness  to  be  in  the 
place  of  peril. 

Above  all,  shun  the  place  where  you  have  fallen.  Do 
not  linger  in  it  for  a  moment.  Go  out,  even  though  you 
leave  a  comfortable  fire  behind  you.  Better  be  in  the 
cold  than  stay  where  your  soul  is  in  danger.  Till  Peter 
had  received  from  the  Lord's  own  mouth  abundant  assur- 
ance of  his  restoration  to  his  office  by  the  threefold  charge 
to  feed  the  sheep  and  lambs,  we  do  not  find  him  again  in 
the  forefront. 

That  look  of  Christ  severed  Feter  from  the  crowd.  He 
was  no  longer  among  the  fellows  around  the  fire.  He 
had  not  another  word  to  say  to  them  :  he  quitted  their  com- 
pany in  ha^te.  It  is  well  for  believers  to  feel  that  they 
are  not  of  the  world !  They  should  flee  out  of  Sodom. 
The  Lord  has  severed  us  from  the  multitude  by  his  divine 
choice,  and  the  separation  should  be  our  choice. 

Oh,  that  the  arrows  of  the  great  Lord  would  this 
morning  pierce  some  soul  even  as  a  huntsman  wounds  a 
stag  !  Oh,  that  the  vfounded  soul,  like  Peter,  would  seeh 
soUtuch  !  The  sta2i:  seeks  the  thicket  to  bleed  and  die 
alone ;  but  the  Lord  will  come  in  secret  to  tlie  wounded 
heart,  and  draw  out  the  arrow.  Alone  is  the  place  for  a 
penitent.  Out  in  the  darkness  is  far  better  for  you  than 
around  the  fire,  where  coarse  jokes  are  bandied  while 
Christ  is  mocked.  There  must  be  confession  and  weep- 
ing alone.  If  Christ  has  looked  upon  you,  you  must  get 
away  from  the  men  of  the  world,  and  indeed  from  all 
others  ;  the  solitude  of  your  chamber  will  suit  you  best. 

That  look  of  Christ  also  opened  tJie  sluices  of  Peter^s 
heart :  he  went  out,  and  wept  bitterly.  There  was  gall 
in  the  tears   he  wept,  for  they  were  the  washings  of  his 


298  PETER'S  RESTORATION. 

bitter  sorrow.  Dear  friends,  if  we  have  sinned  with 
Peter,  God  grant  us  grace  to  weep  witli  Peter.  Manj 
will  think  of  Peter's  wandering  who  forget  Peter's  weep- 
ing. Sin,  even  though  it  be  forgiven,  is  a  bitter  thing  ; 
even  though  Christ  may  look  away  your  despair  he  will 
not  look  away  your  penitence.  "  He  went  out,  and  wept 
bitterly."  Oh,  how  he  chided  himself !  "  How  could  I 
have  acted  so  ! "  How  he  smote  on  his  breast,  and 
sighed,  *^How  can  I  ever  look  up?  Yet  is  he  very 
precious.  That  look  forgave  me  ;  but  I  can  never  for- 
give myself."  He  remembered  it  all  his  life,  and  could 
never  hear  a  cock  crow  without  feeling  the  water  in  his 
eyes. 

Yet  I  want  you  to  notice  that  that  look  of  Christ  gave 
him  relief.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  able  to  weep.  Those 
who  cannot  weep  are  the  people  who  suffer  most.  A 
pent-up  sorrow  is  a  terrible  sorrow.  The  Lord  touched 
a  secret  spring,  and  made  Peter's  grief  flow  out  in  floods, 
and  that  must  have  greatly  eased  him.  I  have  frequent- 
ly heard  people  say,  '^  I  had  a  good  cry,  and  after  that 
I  was  able  to  bear  it."  People  die  of  bursting  hearts 
when  no  tears  relieve  them.  I  thank  God  for  Peter  that 
he  could  weep  bitterly,  for  thus  the  Holy  Spirit  came  to 
him  with  comfort.  0  Master,  look  on  some  poor  dry 
heart  here — some  poor  heart  that  cannot  feel  its  sinful- 
ness, but  would  if  it  could — and  give  it  feeling  !  Look 
on  the  heart  which  cannot  repent,  that  is  crying  "  I 
would,  but  cannot  feel  contrition."  Lord,  thou  didsl 
make  the  rock  yield  water  at  the  smiting  of  the  rod, 
use  thy  poor  stick  of  a  servant  this  morning  to  smite  the 
rocky  heart,  and  let  the  waters  of  repentance  flow  out. 

And  now,  to  conclude,  it  made  Peter,  as  long  as  he 
lived,  ashamed  to  he  ashamed,     Peter  was  never  ashamed 


PETER'S  RESTORATION,  299 

after  this.  "Who  was  it  that  stood  up  at  Pentecost  and 
preached  %  Was  it  not  Peter?  Was  he  not  always  fore- 
most in  testifying  to  his  Lord  and  Master  ?  1  trust  that 
if  any  of  us  have  been  falling  back,  and  especially  if  we 
have  wandered  into  sin,  we  may  get  such  a  restoration 
from  the  Lord  himself,  that  we  may  become  better 
Christians  ever  afterwards.  I  do  not  want  you  to  break 
a  bone,  I  pray  God  you  never  may  ;  but  if  you  ever  do, 
may  the  heavenly  Surgeon  so  set  it  that  it  may  become 
thicker  and  stronger  than  before.  Courage  was  the  bone 
in  Peter  which  snapped  ;  but  when  it  was  set,  it  became 
the  strongest  bone  in  his  nature,  and  never  broke  again. 
When  the  Lord  sets  the  bones  of  his  people,  they  never 
break  any  more — he  does  his  work  so  effectually.  The 
man  who  has  erred  by  anger  becomes  meek  and  gentle. 
The  man  who  has  erred  by  drink,  quits  the  deadly  cup, 
and  loathes  it.  The  man  who  has  sinned  by  shame  be- 
comes the  bravest  of  the  company. 

O,  Lord  Jesus,  I  have  tried  to  preach  thee  this  morn- 
ing, but  I  cannot  look  with  thine  eye.  Thou  must  look 
on  erring  ones  thyself.  Look,  Saviour  !  Look,  sinner  ! 
'"''  There  is  life  in  a  look  at  the  crucified  One,"  beaause 
there  is  life  in  a  look /ro/>i  the  crucified  One.  May  Jesus 
look;  and  the  sinner  look  !     Amen. 


XIV. 

THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  LAMB,  THE  CONQUESING  WEAPON, 

Septemler  9,  1888. 

"  Aud  they  overcame  Iiim  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony;  aud  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the 
death."— Eevelation  xii.  11. 

Wherever  evil  appears,  it  is  to  be  fought  with  by  the 
children  of  God  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  in  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  When  evil  appeared  in  an  angel, 
straightway  there  Avas  war  in  heaven.  Evil  in  mortal 
men  is  to  be  striven  against  by  all  regenerate  men.  If 
sin  comes  to  us  in  the  form  of  an  angel  of  light  we  must 
still  war  with  it.  If  it  comes  with  all  manner  of  deceiv- 
ableness  of  mirighteousness,  we  must  not  parley  for  a 
single  moment,  but  begin  the  battle  forthwith,  if  indeed 
we  belong  to  armies  of  the  Lord.  Evil  is  at  its  very 
worst  in  Satan  himself :  with  him  we  fight.  He  is  no 
mean  adversary.  The  evil  spirits  which  are  under  his 
control  are,  any  one  of  them,  terrible  foes  ;  but  when 
Satan  himself  personally  attacks  a  Christian,  any  one  of 
us  will  be  hard  put  to  it. 

When  this  dragon  blocks  our  road,  we  shall  need 
heavenly  aid  to  force  our  passage.  A  pitched  battle 
with  Apollyon  may  not  often  occur  5  but  when  it  does, 
you  will  knov\^  it  painfully  :  you  will  record  it  in  your 
diary  as  one  of  the  darkest  days  you  have  ever  lived ;  and 
you  will  eternally  praise  your  God,  when  you  overcome 
(300) 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  301 

him.  But  even  if  Satan  were  ten  times  stronger  and 
more  crafty  than  he  is,  we  are  bomid  to  wrestle  with 
him  :  we  cannot  for  a  moment  hesitate,  or  offer  him 
terms.  Evil  in  its  highest,  strongest,  and  proudest  form 
is  to  Le  assailed  by  the  soldier  of  the  cross,  and  nothing 
must  end  the  war  but  complete  victory.  Satan  is  the 
enemy,  the  enemy  of  enemies.  That  prayer  of  our 
Lord's,  which  we  usually  render,  "  Deliver  us  from  evil,'^ 
has  the  special  significance  of  "  Deliver  us  from  the  evil 
one  "  ;  because  he  is  the  chief  embodiment  of  evil,  and 
in  him  evil  is  intensified,  and  has  come  to  its  highest 
strength.  That  man  had  need  have  Omnipotence  with 
him  who  hopes  to  overcome  the  enemy  of  God  and  man. 
He  would  destroy  all  godly  ones  if  he  could  ;  and  though 
he  cannot,  such  is  his  inveterate  hate,  that  he  worries 
those  whom  he  cannot  devour  with  a  malicious  eagerness. 

In  this  chapter  the  devil  is  called  the  ^^  great  red  dra- 
gon." He  is  great  in  capacity,  intelligence,  energy,  and 
experience.  Whether  or  not  he  was  the  chief  of  all  an- 
gels before  he  fell  I  do  not  know.  Some  have  thought 
that  he  was  such,  and  that  when  he  heard  that  a  man 
was  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  God,  out  of  very  jealousy, 
he  rebelled  against  the  Most  High.  This  also  is  conjec- 
ture. But  we  do  know  that  he  was  and  is  an  exceeding- 
ly great  spirit  as  compared  with  us.  He  is  a  being 
great  in  evil :  the  prince  of  darkness,  having  the  power 
of  death.  He  shows  his  malice  against  the  saints  by  ac- 
cusing the  brethren  day  and  night  before  God.  In  the 
prophets  Ave  have  the  record  of  Satan  standing  to  accuse 
Joshua  the  servant  of  God.  Satan  also  accused  Job  of 
serving  God  from  mercenary  motives :  ^^  Hast  not  thou 
made  an  hedge  about  him,  and  all  that  he  hath  f  '^ 

This  ever  active  enemy  desires  to  tempt  as  well  as  ac- 


302  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

cuse :  he  would  have  us,  and  sift  us  as  wheat.  In  calling 
him  the  dragon,  the  Holy  Spirit  seems  to  hint  at  his 
mysterious  power  and  character.  To  us  a  spirit  such  as 
he  is  must  ever  be  a  mystery  in  his  being  and  working, 
Satan  is  a  mysterious  personage,  though  he  is  not  a 
mythical  one.  We  can  never  doubt  his  existence  if  we 
have  once  come  into  conflict  with  him  ;  yet  he  is  to  us 
all  the  more  real  because  so  mysterious.  If  he  were 
flesh  and  blood  it  would  be  far  easier  to  contend  with 
him  ;  but  to  fight  with  this  spiritual  wickedness  in  high 
places  is  a  terrible  task.  As  a  dragon  he  is  fidl  of  cun- 
ning and  ferocity.  In  him  force  is  allied  with  craft ;  and 
if  he  cannot  achieve  his  purpose  at  once  by  power  he 
waits  his  time.  He  deludes,  he  deceives  ;  in  fact,  he  is 
said  to  deceive  the  whole  world.  What  a  power  of  de- 
ception must  reside  in  him,  when  mider  his  influence  the 
third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven  are  made  to  fall,  and 
myriads  of  men  in  all  ages  have  worshipped  demons  and 
idols  !  He  has  steeped  the  minds  of  men  in  delusion,  so  that 
they  cannot  see  that  they  should  worship  none  but  God, 
their  Maker.  He  is  styled  "  the  old  serpent  '^  ;  and  this 
reminds  us  how  practised  he  is  in  every  evil  art.  He 
was  a  liar  from  the  beginning,  and  the  father  of  lies. 
After  thousands  of  years  of  constant  practice  in  deception 
he  is  much  too  cunning  for  us.  If  we  think  that  we  can 
match  him  by  craft  we  are  grievous  fools,  for  he  knows 
vastly  more  than  the  wisest  of  mortals  ;  and  if  it  once 
comes  to  a  game  of  policies,  he  will  certainly  clear  the 
board,  and  sweep  our  tricks  into  the  bag.  To  this  cun- 
ning he  adds  great  speed,  so  that  he  is  quick  to  assail  at 
any  moment,  darting  down  upon  us  like  a  hawk  upon  a 
poor  chick.  He  is  not  everywhere  present  j  but  it  is 
hard  to  say  where  he  is  not.     He  cannot  be  omnipresent  5 


THE  CONQUERING    WEAPON.  303 

but  yet,  by  tliat  majestic  craft  of  his,  lie  so  manages  his 
armies  of  fallen  ones  that,  like  a  great  general,  he  super- 
intends the  whole  field  of  battle,  and  seems  present  at 
every  point.  No  door  can  shut  him  out,  no  height  of 
piety  can  rise  beyond  his  reach.  He  meets  us  in  all 
our  weaknesses,  and  assails  us  from  every  point  of  the 
compass.  He  comes  upon  us  unaware,  and  gives  us 
wounds  which  are  not  easily  healed. 

But  yet,  dear  friends,  powerful  as  this  infernal  spirit 
certainly  must  be,  his  power  is  defeated  when  we  are 
resolved  never  to  be  at  peace  with  him.  We  must  never 
dream  of  terms  or  truce  with  evil.  To  suppose  that  we 
can  let  him  alone,  and  all  will  be  well,  is  a  deadly  error. 
We  must  fight  or  perish :  evil  will  slay  us  if  we  do  not 
slay  it.  Our  only  safety  will  lie  in  a  determined,  vigor- 
ous opposition  to  sin,  whatever  shape  it  assumes,  what- 
ever it  may  threaten,  whatever  it  may  promise.  The 
Holy  Ghost  alone  can  maintain  in  us  this  enmity  to  sin. 

According  to  the  text  it  is  said  of  the  saints,  ^^  They 
overcame  him."  We  are  never  to  rest  until  it  is  said 
of  us  also,  ^^  They  overcame  him."  He  is  a  foeman 
worthy  of  your  steel.  Do  you  refuse  the  conflict  ?  Do 
you  think  of  turning  back  %  You  have  no  armor  for 
your  back.  To  cease  to  fight  is  to  be  overcome.  You 
have  your  choice  between  the  two,  either  to  gird  up  the 
loins  of  your  minds  for  a  life-long  resistance,  or  else  to 
be  Satan's  slaves  forever.  I  pray  God  that  you  may 
awake,  arise,  and  give  battle  to  the  foe.  Resolve  once 
for  all  that  by  the  grace  of  God  you  vrill  be  numbered 
with  those  who  overcome  the  arch-enemy. 

Our  text  brings  before  us  a  very  important  subject 
for  consideration:  —  Wlmt  is  the  conquering  tveaponf 
With  what  sword  did  they  fight  who  have  overcome  the 


304  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

great  red  dragon  ?  Listen  !  ^^  They  overcame  liim  by 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb/^  Secondly,  how  do  we  use  that 
tveaj3on  f  We  do  as  they  did  who  overcame  "  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony  j  and  they  loved  not  their  lives 
unto  the  death." 

I.    First,  WHAT    IS   THIS    CONQUERING  WEAPON?      They 

overcame  him  by  "the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

The  blood  of  the  Lamb  signifies,  first,  the  death  of  the 
Son  of  God.  The  sufi'ering  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  set 
forth  by  some  other  figure,  but  his  death  on  the  cross 
requires  the  mention  of  blood.  Our  Lord  was  not  only 
bruised  and  smitten,  but  he  was  put  to  death.  His 
heart's  blood  was  made  to  flow.  He  of  whom  we  speak 
was  God  over  all,  blessed  for  ever ;  but  he  condescended 
to  take  our  manhood  into  union  with  his  Godhead  in  a 
mysterious  manner.  He  was  born  at  Bethlehem  a  babe, 
he  grew  as  a  child,  he  ripened  into  manhood,  and  lived 
here  among  us,  eating  and  drinking,  sufi'ering  and  re- 
joicing, sleeping  and  laboring  as  men  do.  He  died  in 
very  deed  and  of  a  truth,  and  was  buried  in  the  tomb 
of  Joseph  of  Arimathsea.  That  death  Avas  the  grand  fact 
which  is  set  forth  by  the  words  "  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.'' 
We  are  to  view  Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God's  passover : 
not  merely  separated  from  others,  dedicated  to  be  Israel's 
memorial,  and  consecrated  to  divine  service,  but  as  the 
Lamb5?rt/;?.  Remember,  that  Christ  viewed  as  living,  and 
not  as  having  died,  is  not  a  saving  Christ.  He  himself 
saith,  "  I  am  he  that  liveth  and  teas  deadJ^  The  mod- 
erns cry,  "Why  not  preach  more  about  his  life,  and  less 
about  his  death  f  "  I  reply.  Preach  his  life  as  much  as 
you  will,  but  never  apart  from  his  death ;  for  it  is  by 
his  blood  that  we  are  redeemed.  "  We  preach  Christ." 
Complete  the  sentence.     "  We  preach  Christ  crucified^'' 


THE   CONQUERING   WEAPON.  305 

says  the  apostle.  Ah,  yes  !  there  is  the  pomt.  It  is  the 
death  of  the  Son  of  God  which  is  the  conquering  weapon. 
Had  he  not  poured  forth  his  soul  unto  death,  even  to  the 
death  of  the  cross — had  he  not  been  numbered  with  the 
transgressors,  and  put  to  a  death  of  shame — YvO  should 
have  had  no  weapon  with  which  to  overcome  the  dragon 
prince.  By  ^^  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  '^  we  understand  the 
dccvth  of  the  Son  of  God.  Hear  it,  0  men  !  Because  you 
have  sinned,  Jesus  dies  that  you  may  be  cleared  from  your 
sin.  ^^  He  his  own  self  bare  cur  sins  in  his  own  body  on 
the  tree,"  and  died  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  un- 
righteousness. The  point  is  his  death,  and,  paradoxical- 
ly, this  death  is  the  vital  point  of  the  gospel.  The 
death  of  Christ  is  the  death  of  sin  and  the  defeat  of 
Satan,  and  hence  it  is  the  life  of  our  hope  and  the  assur- 
ance of  his  victory.  Because  he  poured  out  his  soul  un- 
to the  death,  he  divides  the  spoil  with  the  strong. 

Next,  by  ^'  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ''we  understand  cz/r 
LorcVs  death  as  a  substitutionary  sacrifice.  Let  us  be 
very  clear  here.  It  is  not  said  that  they  overcame  the 
arch-enemy  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  or  the  blood  of  Christ, 
but  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  and  the  words  are  ex- 
pressly chosen  because,  under  the  figure  of  a  lamb,  we 
have  set  before  us  a  sacrifice.  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  shed  because  of  his  courage  for  the  truth,  or  out 
of  pure  philanthropy,  or  out  of  self-denial,  conveys  no 
special  gospel  to  men,  and  has  no  pecidiar  power  about 
it.  Truly  it  is  an  example  worthy  to  beget  martyrs ; 
but  it  is  not  the  vray  of  salvation  for  guilty  men.  If  you 
proclaim  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  but  do  not  show  that 
he  died  the  just  for  the  unjust  to  bring  us  to  God,  you 
have  not  preached  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  You  must 
laake  it  known  that  ^^  the   chastisement  of  our  peace  was 


306  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

upon  him/'  and  that  "  the  Lord  hath  Laid  on  him  the  in- 
iquity of  us  all/'  or  you  have  not  declared  the  meaning 
of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  There  is  no  overcomins:  sin 
without  a  substitutionary  sacrifice.  The  lamb  under  the 
old  law  was  brought  by  the  offender  to  make  atonement 
for  his  offence,  and  in  his  j)lace  it  was  slain  :  this  was 
the  type  of  Christ  taking  the  sinner's  place,  bearing  the 
sinner's  sin,  and  suffering  in  the  sinner's  stead,  and  thus 
vindicating  the  justice  of  God,  and  making  it  possible  for 
Lim  to  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  him  that  belie veth.  I 
understand  this  to  be  the  conquering  weapon — the  death 
of  the  Son  of  God  set  forth  as  the  propitiation  for  sin. 
Sin  must  be  punished :  it  is  punished  in  Christ's  death* 
Here  is  the  hope  of  men. 

Futhermore,  I  understand  by  the  expression,  "  The 
blood  of  the  Lamb,"  that  our  Lord's  death  was  effected  for 
the  taJdng  away  of  sin.  When  John  the  Baptist  first 
pointed  to  Jesus,  he  said,  ^^  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  aAvay  the  sin  of  the  world."  Our  Lord 
Jesus  has  actually  taken  away  sin  by  his  death. 
Beloved,  we  are  sure  that  he  had  offered  an  acceptable, 
and  effectual  propitiation  when  he  said,  "  It  is  finished." 
Either  he  did  put  away  sin,  or  he  did  not.  If  he  did  not, 
how  will  it  ever  be  put  away  ?  If  he  did,  then  are 
believers  clear.  Altogether  apart  from  anything  that 
we  do  or  are,  our  glorious  Substitute  took  away  our 
sin,  as  in  the  type  the  scape-goat  carried  thesin  of 
Israel  into  the  wilderness.  In  the  case  of  all  those 
for  whom  our  Lord  offered  himself  as  a  substitutionary 
sacrifice,  the  justice  of  God  finds  no  hindrance  to  its  full- 
est flow  :  it  is  consistent  with  justice  that  God  shoida 
bless  the  redeemed.  Near  nineteen  hundred  years  ago 
Jesus    paid   the    dreadful    debt    of    all    his    elect,    anc 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  307 

made  a  full  atonement  for  the  whole  mass  of  the  iniqui- 
ties of  them  that  shall  believe  in  him,  thereby  removing 
the  whole  tremendous  load,  and  casting  it  bv  one  lift  of 
his  pierced  hand  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  When  Jesus 
died,  an  atonement  was  offered  by  him  and  accepted  by 
the  Lord  God,  so  that  before  the  high  court  of  heaven 
there  was  a  distinct  removal  of  sin  from  the  whole  body 
of  whicli  Christ  is  the  head.  In  the  fidness  of  time  each 
redeemed  one  individually  accepts  for  himself  the  great 
atonement  by  an  act  of  personal  faith,  but  the  atonement 
itself  was  made  long  before.  I  believe  this  to  be  one  of 
the  edges  of  the  conquering  weapon.  We  are  to  preach 
that  the  Son  of  God  has  come  in  the  flesh  and  died  for 
human  sin,  and  that  in  dying  he  did  not  only  make  it  pos- 
sible for  God  to  forgive,  but  he  secured  forgiveness  for  all 
who  are  in  him.  He  did  not  die  to  make  men  savable, 
but  to  safe  them.  He  came  not  that  sin  might  be  put  aside 
at  some  future  tiuie,  but  to  put  it  away  there  and  then 
by  the  sacrifice  of  himself;  for  by  his  death  he  ^^  finished 
transgressions,  made  an  end  of  sin,  and  brought  in  ever- 
lasting righteousness."  Believers  may  knoAV  that  when 
Jesus  died  they  v/ere  delivered  from  the  claims  of  law, 
and  when  he  rose  again  their  justification  was  secured. 
The  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  a  real  price,  which  did  effec- 
tually ransom.  The  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  a  real  cleans- 
ing, which  did  really  purge  away  sin.  This  we  believe 
and  declare  ;  and  by  this  sign  we  conquer.  Christ  cru- 
cified, Christ  the  sacrifice  for  sin,  Christ  the  effectual  re- 
deemer of  men,  we  will  proclaim  everywhere,  and  thus 
put  to  rout  the  poAvers  of  darkness. 

IL  I  have  shown  you  the  sword  ;  I  now  come,  in  the 
second  place,  to  speak  to  the  question,  How  do  we  use 
IT  !     ''  They  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.'^ 


308  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

When  a  man  gets  a  sword,  joii  cannot  be  quite  cer- 
tain how  he  will  use  it.  A  gentleman  has  purchased  a 
very  expensive  SAvord  with  a  golden  hilt  and  an  elaborate 
scabbard  :  he  hangs  it  up  in  his  hall,  and  exhibits  it  to 
his  friends.  Occasionally  he  draws  it  out  from  the 
sheath,  and  he  says,  "  Feel  how  keen  is  the  edge  !  " 
The  precious  blood  of  Jesus  is  not  meant  for  us  merely 
to  admire  and  exhibit.  We  must  not  be  content  to  talk 
about  it,  and  extol  it,  and  do  nothing  with  it ;  but  we 
are  to  use  it  in  the  great  crusade  against  unholiness  and 
unrighteousness,  till  it  is  said  of  us,  "  They  overcame 
him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  This  precious  blood  is 
to  be  used  for  overcoming,  and  consequently  for  holy 
warfare.  We  dishonor  it  if  we  do  not  use  it  to  that  end. 
Some,  I  fear,  use  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  only  as  a 
quietus  to  their  consciences.  They  say  to  themselves, 
**  He  made  atonement  for  sin,  therefore  let  me  take  my 
rest."  This  is  doing  a 'grievous  wrong  to  the  great  sac- 
rifice. I  grant  you  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  does  speak 
better  things  than  that  of  Abel,  and  that  it  sweetly  cries, 
^^  Peace  !  Peace  !  "  within  the  troubled  conscience  ;  but 
that  is  not  all  that  it  does.  A  man  who  wants  the  blood 
of  Jesus  for  nothing  but  the  mean  and  selfish  reason 
that  after  having  been  forgiven  through  it  he  may  say, 
''''  Soul,  take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry  :  hear 
sermons,  enjoy  the  hope  of  eternal  felicity,  and  do  noth- 
ing " — such  a  man  blasphemes  the  precious  blood,  and 
makes  it  an  unholy  thing.  We  are  to  use  the  glorious 
mystery  of  atoning  blood  as  our  chief  means  of  overcom- 
ing sin  and  Satan :  its  power  is  for  holiness.  See  how 
the  text  puts  it :  ^^They  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb  "  :  these  saints  use  the  doctrine  of  atonement 
not  as  a  pillow  to  rest  their  weariness,  but   as  a  weapon 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  309 

to  subdue  tlieir  sin.  0  nij  brothers,  to  some  of  us  atone- 
ment by  blood  is  our  battle-axe  and  weapon  of  war,  by 
wliicli  we  conquer  in  our  struggle  for  purity  and  godli- 
ness— a  struggle  in  wliicli  we  have  continued  now  these 
many  years.  By  the  atoning  blood  we  withstand  cor- 
ruption within  and  temptation  without.  This  is  that 
weapon  which  nothing  can  resist. 

Let  me  show  you  your  battle-field.  Our  first  place  of 
conflict  is  in  the  heavenlies,  and  the  second  is  down  be- 
low on  earth. 

First,  then,  you,  my  brothers  and  sisters  who  believe 
in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  have  to  do  battle  Avith  Satan  in  the 
liravenlies  ;  and  there  you  must  overcome  him  ^^by  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb."  '^  How  ?  "  say  you.  I  will  lead 
you  into  this  subject.  First,  you  are  to  regard  Satan 
this  day  as  being  already  literally  and  truly  overcome 
tJirongJi  the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Satan  is  already  a 
vanquished  enemy.  By  faith  grasp  your  Lord's  victory 
as  your  own,  since  he  triumphed  in  your  nature  and  on 
your  behalf  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  went  up  to  Calva- 
ry, and  there  fought  with  the  prince  of  darkness,  utterly 
defeated  him,  and  destroyed  his  power.  He  led  captivity 
captive.  He  bruised  the  serpent's  head.  The  victory 
v\^as  the  victory  of  all  who  are  in  Christ.  He  is  the  rep- 
resentative seed  of  the  woman,  and  you  who  are  of  that 
seed  and  are  in  Christ  actually  and  experimentally,  you 
then  and  there  overcame  the  devil  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  Can  you  get  a  hold  of  this  truth  !  Do  you  riot 
know  that  yoa  were  circumcised  in  his  circumcision, 
crucified  on  his  cross,  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  and 
therein  also  risen  with  him  in  his  resurrection  ?  He  is 
your  federal  head,  and  you  being  members  of  his  body 
did  in  him  what  he  did.     Come,   my  soul,  thou  has  con- 


310  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

qnered  Satan  by  thy  Lord's  victory.  Wilt  thou  not  be 
brave  enough  to  fight  a  vanquished  foe^  and  trample 
doAvn  the  enemy  Avhom  thy  Lord  hast  already  thrust 
down  %  Thou  needest  not  be  afraid,  but  say,  '•''  Thanks 
be  to  God  which  giveth  us  the  victory  through 
our  liOrd  Jesus  Christ."  We  have  overcome  sin,  death 
and  hell  in  the  person  and  work  of  our  great  Lord  ;  and 
we  should  be  greatly  encouraged  by  that  which  has 
been  already  wrought  in  our  name.  Already  we  are 
more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  hath  loved  us. 
If  Jesus  had  not  overcome  the  enemy,  certainly  we 
never  should  have  done  so  ;  but  his  personal  triumph 
has  secured  ours.  By  faith  we  rise  into  the  conquering 
place  this  day.  In  the  heavenlies  we  triumph,  also 
in  every  place.  We  rejoice  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Michael  of  the  angels,  the  Redeemer  of  men  ;  for  by 
him  we  seen  Satan  cast  out,  and  all  the  powers  of  evil 
hurled  from  their  places  of  power  and  eminence. 

This  day  I  would  have  you  overcome  Satan  in  the 
heavenlies  in  another  sense  :  you  must  overcome  Mm  as 
the  accuser.  At  times  you  hear  in  your  heart  a  voice 
arousing  memory  and  startling  conscience  ;  a  voice  which 
seems  in  heaven  to  be  a  remembrance  of  your  guilt. 
Hark  to  that  deep  croaking  voice,  boding  evil !  Satan 
is  urging  before  the  throne  of  justice  all  your  former 
sins.  Can  you  hear  him  !  He  begins  Avith  your  childish 
faults  and  your  youthfid  foUies.  Truly  a  black  memory. 
He  does  not  let  one  of  your  wickednesses  drop  out. 
Things  which  you  had  forgotten  he  cunningly  revives. 
He  knows  your  secret  sins,  for  he  had  a  hand  in  most  of 
them.  He  knows  the  resistance  which  you  offered  to 
the  gospel,  and  the  way  in  which  you  stifled  conscience. 
He  knows  the  sins  of  darkness,  the  sins  of  the  bedchamber, 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  31] 

the  crimes  of  the  inner  cliambers  of  imagery.  Since  you 
have  been  a  Christian  he  has  marked  your  wickedness, 
and  asked,  in  fierce,  sarcastic  tones,  "  Is  this  a  chikl  of 
God  %  Is  this  an  heir  of  heaven  %  "  He  hopes  to  con- 
vict us  of  hypocrisy  or  of  apostasy. 

The  foul  fiend  tells  out  the  wanderings  of  our  hearts, 
the  deadness  of  our  desires  in  prayer,  the  filthy  thoughts 
that  dropped  into  our  minds  when  we  have  been  at  wor- 
ship.    Alas  !   we  have  to  confess  that  we   have   even  tol- 
erated doubts  as  to  eternal  verities,  and  suspicions  of  the 
love    and    faithfulness    of   God.     When   the   accuser  is 
about   his  evil  business,  he  does  not  have  to  look  far  for 
matter  of  accusation,   nor  for  facts  to  support  it.     Do 
these  accusations  stagger  you  %     Do  you  cry,  ^^  My  God, 
how  can  I  face  thee  %  for  all  this  is  true,  and  the  iniqui- 
ties now  brought  to  my  remembrance  are  such  as  I  can- 
not deny.     I  have  violated  thy  law  in  a  thousand  ways, 
and  I  cannot  justify  myself."     Now  is  your  opportunity 
for  overcoming  through  the  blood  of  the   Lamb.     When 
the   accuser  has  said  his   say,  and  aggravated  all  your 
transgressions,  be  not  ashamed  to  step  forward  and  say, 
'^  But   I  have  an   advocate   as  v\^ell  as  an  accuser.     0 
Jesus,  my  Saviour,  speak  for  me  !  "     When  he  speaks, 
what  does  he  plead  but  his  own  blood  ?     ^^  For  all  these 
sins  I  have  made  atonement,"  says  he,  ^^  all  these  iniqui- 
ties were  laid  on  me  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's   anger,  and 
I  have  taken  them  away."     Brethren,  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  God's  dear  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.     Jesus 
has  borne  the  penalty  due  to  us  :  he   has  discharged   for 
us  upon  the  cross  all  our  liabilities  to  the  justice  of  God, 
and  we  are  free  for  ever,  because  our  surety   suffered  in 
our  place.     Where    is  the  accuser  now  %     That  dragon 
voice  is  silenced  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.     Nothing  else 


312  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE   LAMB, 

can  ever  silence  the  accuser's  cruel  voice  but  the  voice 
of  the  blood  which  tells  of  the  infinite  God  accepting,  in 
our  behalf,  the  sacrifice  which  he  himself  supplied. 
Justice  decrees  that  the  sinfid  shall  be  clear,  because  the 
accepted  substitute  has  borne  his  sin  in  his  own  body  on 
the  tree.  Come,  brother  or  sister,  the  next  time  thou 
hast  to  do  with  Satan  as  an  accuser  in  the  heavenly 
places,  take  care  that  thou  defend  thyself  with  no 
weapon  but  the  atonement.  All  comfort  draAvn  from 
inward  feelings  or  outward  works  will  fall  short ;  but  the 
bleeding  w^ounds  of  Jesus  will  plead  with  full  and  over- 
whelming argument,  and  answer  all.  *^  Who  shall  lay 
anything  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  %  It  is  God  that 
jiistifieth.  Who  is  he  that  condemn eth  !  It  is  Christ 
that  died,  yea  rather,  that  is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  who  also  maketh  intercession 
for  us."  Who,  then,  shall  accuse  the  child  of  God  % 
Every  accuser  shall  be  overcome  by  the  invincible  argu- 
ment of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

Still  further,  the  believer  will  have  need  to  overcome 
the  enemy  in  the  heavenly  places  in  reference  to  access  to 
God.  It  may  happen  that  when  we  are  most  intent  upon 
commmimg  with  God,  the  adversary  hinders  us.  Our 
heart  and  our  flesh  cry  out  for  God,  the  living  God  ; 
but  from  one  cause  or  another  we  are  unable  to  draw 
nigh  unto  the  throne.  The  heart  is  heavy,  sin  is  ram- 
pant, care  is  harassing,  and  Satanic  insinuation  is  busy. 
You  seem  shut  out  from  God,  and  the  enemy  triumphs 
over  you.  You  feel  very  near  the  world,  and  very  near 
the  flesh,  and  very  near  the  devil :  but  you  mourn  your 
miserable  distance  from  God.  You  are  like  a  child  who 
cannot  reach  his  father's  door  because  a  black  dog  barks 
at  him  from  the  door.     What  is  the  way  of  access "?    If 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  313 

the  foiil  fiend  will  not  move  out  of  the  way,  can  we  force 
our  passage  %  By  what  weapon  can  we  drive  away  the 
adversary  so  as  to  come  to  God  ?  Is  it  not  written  that 
we  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood  %  Is  there  not  a  new 
and  living  way  consecrated  for  us  %  Have  we  not  bold- 
ness to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  ?  We 
are  sure  of  God^s  love  when  v/e  see  that  Christ  died  for 
us  ;  we  are  sure  of  God's  favor  when  Ave  see  how  that 
atonement  has  removed  our  transgressions  far  from  us. 
We  perceive  our  liberty  to  come  to  the  Father,  and 
therefore  we  each  one  say~ 

"  I  will  approacli  tliee  —I  will  force 
My  way  tliroagli  obstacles  to  thee ; 
To  thee  for  strength  will  have  recourse, 
To  thee  for  consolation  fiee  ! " 

Pleading  the  propitiation  made  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
we  dare  draw  nigh  to  God.  Behold,  the  evil  spirit 
makes  way  before  us.  The  sacred  name  of  Jesus  is 
one  before  which  he  flees.  This  will  drive  away  his 
blasphemous  suggestions  and  foul  insinuations  better 
than  anything  that  you  can  invent.  The  dog  of  hell 
knows  the  dread  name  which  makes  him  lie  down  :  we 
must  confront  him  with  the  authority,  and  specially  with 
the  atonement  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  He  will  rage  and 
rave  all  the  more  if  we  send  Moses  to  him ;  for  he  de- 
rives his  power  from  our  breaches  of  the  law,  and  we 
cannot  silence  him  unless  we  bring  to  him  the  great 
Lord  who  has  kept  the  law,  and  made  it  honorable. 

We  next  must  overcome  the  enemy  in  prayer.  Alas ! 
we  cannot  always  pray  as  we  woidd.  Do  you  never  feel 
when  you  are  in  prayer  as  if  something  choked  your 
utterance — and,  what  is  worse,   deadened  your  heart  ? 


314  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

Instead  of  having  wings  as  of  an  eagle  to  mount  to  hea- 
ven, a  secret  evil  clips  your  wings,  and  you  cannot  rise. 
You  say  within  yourself,  '''•  I  have  no  faith,  and  I  cannot 
expect  to  succeed  with  God  without  faith.  I  seem  to 
have  no  lov^e  ;  or,  if  I  have  any,  my  heart  lies  asleep, 
and  I  cannot  stir  myself  to  plead  with  God.  Oh,  that  I 
coidd  come  out  of  my  closet  saying,  ^  Vici !  Vici ! ' — '  1  have 
evercome,  I  have  overcome  ;  '  but,  alas  !  instead  thereof 
I  groan  in  vain,  and  come  away  unrelieved.  I  have 
been  half  dead,  cold,  and  stolid,  and  I  cannot  hope  that 
I  have  prevailed  with  God  in  prayer.'^  Whenever  you 
are  in  this  condition,  fly  to  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  as  your 
chief  remedy.  When  you  plead  this  master  argument 
you  will  arouse  yourself,  and  you  will  prevail  with  God. 
You  will  feel  rest  in  pleading  it,  and  a  sweet  assurance 
of  success  at  the  mercy-seat.  Try  the  method  at  once. 
This  is  the  way  in  which  you  should  use  this  plea.  Say, 
'^  My  God,  I  am  utterly  unworthy,  and  I  own  it ;  but,  I 
beseech  thee,  hear  me  for  the  honor  of  thy  dear  Son.  By 
his  agony  and  bloody  sweat,  by  his  cross  and  passion,  by 
his  precious  death  and  burial,  I  beseech  thee  hear  me  !  O 
Lord,  let  the  blood  of  thine  Only-begotten  prevail  with 
thee !  Canst  thou  put  aside  his  groans,  his  tears,  his 
death,  when  they  speak  on  my  behalf? "  If  you  can 
thus  come  to  pleading  terms  with  God  upon  this  ground, 
you  must  and  will  prevail.  Jesus  must  be  heard  in 
heaven.  The  voice  of  his  blood  is  eloquent  with  God. 
If  you  plead  the  atoning  sacrifice,  you  must  overcome 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

Thus  have  I  spoken  of  overcoming  in  the  heavenlies  ; 
but  I  shall  have  to  show  you  how  you  must  contend 
against  the  evil  one  in  a  lower  sphere,  even  on  this 
earth.     You  must  first  overcome  in  the  heavenly  places 


THE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  315 

before  tlie  throne  5  and  when  you  have  been  thus  tri- 
umphant with  God  in  prayer,  you  will  have  grace  to  go 
forth  to  service  and  to  defeat  evil  among  your  fellow- 
men.  How  often  have  I  personally  found  that  the  bat- 
tle must  first  be  fought  above  !  We  must  ove/come  in 
order  to  service.  Many  a  score  of  times  of  late  I  should 
not  have  ventured  into  this  pidpit  had  it  not  been  for 
power  at  the  mercy-seat.  Those  wdio  know  the  burden 
of  the  Lord  are  often  bowed  down,  and  woidd  not  be 
able  to  bear  up  at  all  were  it  not  for  having  in  secret 
battled  with  their  enemy  and  won  the  day.  I  have 
been  bowed  down  before  the  Lord,  and  in  his  presence 
I  have  pleaded  the  precious  blood  as  the  reason  for  ob- 
taining help,  and  the  help  has  been  given.  Faith,  hav- 
ing once  made  sure  that  Jesus  is  hers,  helps  herself  out 
of  the  treasury  of  God  to  all  that  she  needs.  Satan 
would  deny  her,  but  in  the  power  of  the  blood  she  takes 
possession  of  covenant  blessings.  You  say  to  yourself, 
"  I  am  weak,  but  in  the  Lord,  my  God,  there  is  power  : 
I  take  it  to  myself.  I  am  hard  and  cold,  but  here  is 
tenderness  and  warmth,  and  I  appropriate  it.  It  pleas- 
ed the  Father  that  in  Jesus  should  all  fulness  dwell,  and 
by  virtue  of  his  precious  blood,  I  take  out  of  that  fulness 
what  I  need,  and  then  with  help  thus  obtained  I  meet 
the  enemy  and  overcome  him."  Satan  would  hinder 
our  getting  supplies  of  grace  wherewith  to  overcome 
him  ;  but  with  the  blood-mark  on  our  foot  we  can  go 
anywhere  ;  with  the  blood-mark  on  our  hand  we  dare 
take  anything.  Having  access  with  confidence,  we  also 
take  with  freedom  whatsoever  we  need,  and  thus  w^e  are 
provided  against  all  necessities,  and  armed  against  all 
assaults  through  the  atoning  sacrifice.  This  is  the  foun- 
tain of  supply,   and  the  shield  of  security  :  this,  indeed. 


310  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

is  the   channel  through   which  we   receive   strength   for 
victory. 

We  overcome  the  great  enemy  by  laying  liold  upon 
the  cdl-sufficiency  of  God,  when  we  really  feel  the  power 
of  the  precious  blood  of  Christ.  Thus  being  victorious 
in  the  heavenlieSj  we  come  cIo^\ti  to  the  pulpit  or  to  the 
Sunday-school  class  made  strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the 
power  of  his  might.  Having  overcome  Satan  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  we  see  him  like  lightning  fall  from  heav- 
en, even  before  our  feeble  instrumentality.  We  speak, 
and  God  speaks  with  us ;  we  long  for  souls,  and  God's 
great  heart  is  yearning  with  us.  We  importune  men 
to  come,  and  the  Lord  also  pleads  with  them  to  come,  so 
that  they  no  longer  resist.  Spiritual  power  of  a  holy 
kind  rests  upon  us  to  overcome  the  spiritual  power  of  an 
evil  kind  which  is  exerted  by  Satan,  the  world,  and  the 
flesh.  The  Lord  scatters  the  pov\'er  of  the  enemy,  and 
breaks  the  spell  which  holds  men  captive.  Through  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  we  become  masters  of  the  situation, 
and  the  weakest  among  us  is  able  to  work  great  won- 
ders. Coming  forth  to  the  service  of  God  in  the  power 
of  our  victory  in  heaven,  gained  by  ]3leading  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb,  we  march  on  conquering  and  to  conquer,  and 
no  power  of  the  enemy  is  able  to  stand  against  us. 

It  is  time  that  I  now  showed  you  how  this  same  fight 
is  carried  on  on  earth.  Amongst  men  in  these  lower 
places  of  conflict  saints  overcome  through  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb  hy  their  testimony  to  that  Mood.  Every  believ- 
er is  to  bear  witness  to  the  atoning  sacrifice  and  its  pow- 
er to  save.  He  is  to  tell  out  the  doctrine  ;  he  is  to  em- 
phasize it  by  earnest  faith  in  it  ;  and  he  is  to  support  it 
and  prove  it  by  his  experience  of  the  efl'ect  of  it.  You 
cannot  aU  speak  from  the  pulpit,  but  you  can  aU  sjoeak 


TIJE   CONQUERING    WEAPON.  317 

for  Jesus  as  opportimitv  is  ^'ivcn  you.  Our  main  bus- 
iness is  to  bear  witness  with  the  blood  in  the  power  of 
the  Spirit.  To  this  point  we  can  all  testify.  You  can 
not  go  into  all  manner  of  deep  doctrines  or  curious 
points,  but  you  can  tell  to  all  those  round  about  you 
that  "  There  is  life  in  a  look  at  the  Crucified  One." 
You  can  bear  witness  to  the  power  of  the  blood  of  Jesus 
in  your  own  soul.  If  you  do  this,  you  will  overcome  men 
in  many  ways.  First,  you  will  arouse  them  out  of  apathy. 
This  age  is  more  indifferent  to  true  religion  than  almost 
any  other.  It  is  alive  enough  to  error,  but  to  the  old 
faith  it  turns  a  deaf  ear.  Yet  I  have  noticed  persons 
captivated  by  the  truth  of  substitution  who  would  not 
listen  to  anything  else.  If  any  discourse  can  hold  men, 
as  the  Ancient  Mariner  detained  the  wedding  guest,  it  is 
the  story  of  divine  love,  incarnate  in  the  person  of  Jesus, 
bleeding  and  dying  for  guilty  men.  Try  that  story 
when  attention  flags.  It  has  a  fascination  about  it. 
The  marvellous  history  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved 
his  enemies,  and  died  for  them — this  will  arrest  them. 
The  history  of  the  Holy  One  who  stood  in  the  sinners' 
place,  and  was  in  consequence  put  to  shame,  and  agony, 
and  death — this  will  touch  them.  The  sight  of  the 
bleeding  Saviour  overcomes  obduracy  and  careless- 
ness. 

The  doctrine  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  prevents  or 
scatters  error,  I  do  not  think  that  by  reasoning  we 
often  confute  error  to  any  practical  purpose  ;  we  may 
confute  it  rhetorically  and  doctrinally,  but  men  still 
stick  to  it.  But  the  doctrine  of  the  precious  blood, 
when  it  once  gets  into  the  heart,  drives  error  out  of  it, 
and  sets  up  the  throne  of  truth.  You  cannot  be  cling- 
ing to  an    atoning  sacrifice,  and  still  delight  in  modern 


318  THE  BLOOD   OF  THE  LAMB, 

heresies.  Those  who  deny  inspiration  are  sure  to  get 
ricl  of  the  vicarious  atonement^  because  it  will  not  allow 
their  errors.  Let  us  go  on  proclaiming  the  doctrine  of 
the  great  sacrifice^  and  this  will  kill  the  vipers  of  heresy. 
Let  us  uplift  the  cross,  and  never  mind  what  other  peo- 
ple say.  Perhaps  we  have  taken  too  much  notice  of 
them  already.  Let  the  dogs  bark,  it  is  their  nature  to. 
Go  on  preaching  Christ  crucified.  God  forbid  that  I 
should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ! 

We  also  overcome  men  in  this  way,  by  softening  rc- 
heUioits  hearts.  Men  stand  out  against  the  law  of  God, 
and  defy  the  vengeance  of  God  ;  but  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus  disarms  them.  The  Holy  Spirit  causes 
men  to  yield  through  the  softening  influence  of  the  cross. 
A  bleeding  Saviour  makes  men  throw  down  their  weap- 
ons of  rebellion.  ^'  If  he  loves  me  so,"  they  say,  ^^  I  can- 
not do  other  than  love  him  in  return."  We  overcome 
men's  obduracy  by  the  blood,  shed  for  many  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins. 

How  wonderfully  this  same  blood  of  the  Lamb  over- 
comes despair.  Have  you  never  seen  a  man  shut  up  in 
the  iron  cage  ?  It  has  been  my  painfid  duty  to  talk 
with  several  of  such  prisoners.  I  have  seen  the  captive 
shake  the  iron  bars,  but  he  could  not  break  them,  or 
break  from  them.  He  has  implored  us  to  set  him  free 
by  some  means  ;  but  we  have  been  powerless.  Glory 
be  to  God,  the  blood  is  a  universal  solvent,  and  it  has 
dissolved  the  iron  bars  of  despair,  until  the  poor  captive 
conscience  has  been  able  to  escape.  How  sweet  for  the 
desponding  to  sing — 

"I  do  believe,  T  will  believe, 
That  Jesus  died  for  me  I  " 


THE   COXQUEIUXG    IVEAFON.  319 

Believing  tliat^  all  doubts,  and  fears,  and  despairs  fly 
away,  and  the  man  is  at  ease. 

There  is  nothing,  indeed,  dear  friends,  which  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  will  not  overcome  ;  for  see  how  it  over- 
comes vicey  and  every  form  of  sin.  The  world  is  foid  Avith 
evil,  like  a  stable  which  has  long  been  the  hiir  of 
filthy  creatures.  Y/hat  can  cleanse  it  ?  What  but  this 
matchless  stream  ?  Satan  makes  sin  seem  pleasurable, 
but  the  cross  reveals  its  bitterness.  If  Jesus  died 
because  of  sin,  men  begin  to  see  that  sin  must  be  a  mur- 
derous thing.  Even  when  sin  was  but  imputed  to  the 
Saviour,  it  made  him  pour  out  his  soul  unto  death  ;  it 
must,  then,  be  a  hideous  evil  to  those  who  are  actually 
and  personally  guilty  of  it.  If  God's  rod  made  Christ 
sweat  great  drops  of  blood,  what  will  his  axe  do  when  he 
executes  the  capital  sentence  upon  impenitent  men ! 
Yes,  we  overcome  the  deadly  sweetness  and  destructive 
pleasurableness  of  sin  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

This  blood  overcomes  tJie  natural  lethargij  of  men 
toivard  obedience;  it  stimuJates  them  to  holiness.  If  any- 
thing can  make  a  man  holy  it  is  a  firm  faith  in  the  aton- 
ino-  sacrifice.     "When  a  man  knows  that   Jesus  died  for 

o 

him,  he  feels  that  he  is  not  his  own,  but  bought  with  a 
price,  and  therefore  he  must  live  unto  him  that  died  for 
him  and  rose  again.  In  the  atonement  I  see  a  motive 
equal  to  the  greatest  heroism  ;  yes,  a  motive  which  will 
stimulate  to  perfect  holiness.  What  manner  of  persons 
ought  we  to  be  for  whom  such  a  sacrifice  has  been  pre- 
sented !  Xow  are  we  quickened  into  intensity  of  zeal 
and  devotion.  See,  dear  brothers,  how  to  use  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  in  this  lower  sphere  while  contending  with 
evil  among  men.  But  I  must  close  with  this.  It  is  not 
merely  by  testimony  that  we  use  this  potent  truth.      We 


320         THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  LAMB, 

must  support  that  testimony  hy  our  zeal  and  energy,  AVe 
need  concentrated^  consecrated  energy;  for  it  is  written, 
^'  They  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death."  We  shall 
not  overcome  Satan  if  we  are  fine  gentlemen,  fond  oi 
ease  and  honor.  As  long  as  Christian  people  must  needs 
enjoy  the  world,  the  devil  will  suffer  little  at  their  hands. 
They  that  overcame  the  world  in  the  old  days  were  hum- 
Lie  men  and  women,  generally  poor,  always  despised,  who 
were  never  ashamed  of  Christ,  who  only  lived  to  tell  of 
his  love,  and  died  by  tens  of  thousands  rather  than  cease 
to  bear  testimony  to  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  They  over- 
came by  their  heroism ;  their  intense  devotion  to  the 
cause  secured  the  victory.  Their  lives  to  them  were  as 
nothing  when  compared  with  the  honor  of  their  Lord. 

Brethren,  if  we  are  to  Avin  great  victories  we  must 
have  greater  courage.  Some  of  you  hardly  dare  speak 
about  the  blood  of  Christ  in  any  but  the  most  godly 
company  ;  and  scarcely  there.  You  are  very  retiring. 
You  love  yourselves  too  much  to  get  into  trouble  through 
your  religion.  Surely  you  cannot  be  of  that  nobie 
band  that  love  not  their  own  lives  imto  the  death  ! 
Many  dare  not  hold  the  old  doctrine  nowadays  because 
they  would  be  thought  narrow  and  bigoted,  and  this 
would  be  too  galling.  They  call  us  old  fools.  It  is  very 
likely  we  are ;  but  Ave  are  not  ashamed  to  be  fools  for 
Christ's  sake,  and  the  truth's  sake.  We  believe  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  despite  the  discoveries  of  science. 
We  shall  never  give  up  the  doctrine  of  atoning  sacrifice 
to  please  modern  culture.  What  little  reputation  avb 
have  is  as  dear  to  us  as  another  man's  character  is  to 
him ;  but  we  will  cheerfully  let  it  go  in  this  struggle  for 
the  central  truth  of  revelation.  It  aaqII  be  sweet  to  be 
forgotten  and  lost  sight  of,  or  to  be   vilified  and  abused, 


THE   CONQUERING   WEAPON.  321 

/f  the  old  faith  in  the  substitutionary  sacrifice  can  be 
kept  alive.  This  much  we  are  resolved  on,  we  will  be 
true  to  our  convictions  concerning  the  sacrifice  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  ;  for  if  we  give  up  this,  what  is  there  left  ? 
God  will  not  do  anything  by  us  if  we  are  false  to  the 
cross.  He  uses  the  men  who  spare  not  their  reputations 
when  these  are  called  for  in  defence  of  truth.  Oh  to  be 
at  a  white  heat !  Oh  to  flame  with  zeal  for  Jesus  !  O 
my  brethren,  hold  you  to  the  old  faith,  and  say, 
^'  As  for  the  respect  of  men,  I  can  readily  forfeit  it ;  but 
as  for  the  truth  of  God,  that  I  can  never  give  up."  This 
is  the  day  for  men  to  be  men  ;  for,  alas  !  the  most  are 
soft,  molluscous  creatures.  Now  we  need  backbones  as 
well  as  heads.  To  believe  the  truth  concerning  the 
Lamb  of  God,  and  truly  to  believe  it,  this  is  the  essential 
of  an  overcoming  life.  Oh  for  courage,  constancy,  fix- 
edness, self-denial,  willingness  to  be  made  nothing  of  for 
Christ  !  God  give  us  to  be  faithful  witnesses  to  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  this  ungodly  world  ! 

As  for  those  of  you  who  are  not  saved,  does  not  this 
subject  give  you  a  hint  !  Your  hope  lies  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb. 


'*  Come,  guilty  souls,  and  flee  awaji 
Like  doves,  to  Jesus'  wounds." 


The  atoning  sacrifice,  which  is  our  glory,  is  your  sal- 
vation. Trust  in  him  whom  God  has  set  forth  to  be  the 
propitiation  for  sin.  Begin  with  this,  and  you  are  saved. 
Everv  D;ood  and  holy  thing  which  goes  with  salvation 
will  follow  after ;  but  now,  this  morning,  I  pray  you  ac- 
cept a  present  salvation  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
"  He  that  believeth  in  him  hath  everlasting  life," 


XT. 


ALL   AT   IT. 

Septemher  16,  1888. 

"  Tliercfore  they  tliat  were  scattered  abroad  went  everywliere 
preaching  the  word.  Then  Philip  went  down  to  the  city  of  Samaria, 
and  preached  Christ  nnto  them," — Acts  viii.  4,  5. 

"  Theu  Philip  opened  his  mouth,  and  began  at  the  same  scripture, 
and  i^reached  unto  him  Jesus." — Acts  viii.  35. 

'^  They  that   were    scattered    abroad  went   everywhere 
preaching   the    word."      God    mtended  that  his  church 
shoukl  be  scattered  over  the   workh     There  was  a  ten- 
dency in  our  humanity  at  first  to  remain  together  ;  hence 
the  first  grey  fathers  endeavored  to  build  a  central  tower, 
around  v/hich   the   race  should   rally.     God  confounded 
their  language,  and  scattered  them  from  Babel,  that  they 
might  people  all  the  world.     Jerusalem  was  at   first  the 
central  point  of  Christianity.       The  church  there  was 
highly  favored  with  its  twelve   apostles   and  a  multitude 
of  minor  lights  ;  and  the  tendency  would  have  been  to 
keep  the  centre  strong.     I  have   often  heard  the  argu- 
ment, ^^  Do  not  have  too  many  out  stations,  keep  up  a 
strong  central  force."      But  God's  plan  was  that  the  holy 
force  should  be  distributed  :  the  holy  seed  must  be  sown. 
To  do  this  the  Lord  made  use  of  the  rough  hand   of  per- 
secution.    The  disciples   coidd  not   stay  in    Jerusalem  : 
Saul  made  them  run  for  their  lives,  or,  if  they  did  not, 
he  shut   them   up  in  prison  ;  and   prisons   in  those  days 
(322) 


ALL  AT  IT,  323 

were  so  foul  and  noisome  as  to  be  the  vestibules  of  the 
grave.  One  went  this  way,  and  one  went  the  other 
way  ;  and  the  faithful  were  scattered. 

In  every  church  where  there   is  really  the   power  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  the  Lord  will  cause  it   to  be  spread 
abroad,  more  or  less.     He  never  means  that   a   church 
should  be  like  a  nut  shut   up  in   a   shell ;  nor  like  oint- 
ment enclosed  in  a  box.      The   precious  perfume   of  the 
gospel  must   be   poured   forth   to   sweeten  the  air.     Just 
now  we  have  little  of  that  form  of  persecution  which 
drives  men  from  home.     But  godly  people  are  scattered 
through   the   necessity   of  earning   a  livelihood.     Some- 
times we  regret  that  certain  young  men  should  have  to  go 
to  a  distance  ;  but  should  we  regret  it?     We  lament  that 
certain  families  must  migrate  to  the  colonies.     Does  not 
the  Lord  by  this   moans   sow  the  good  seed  widely  %     It 
is  very  pleasant  to  be  comfortably   settled  under  an  edi- 
fying ministry,  but  the  Lord  has  need  of  some  of  his  ser- 
vants in  places  where  there  is  no  light.     In  many  ways  the 
great  Head  of  the  church   scatters  his  servants  abroad ; 
but  they  ought  of  themselves  to  scatter  voluntarily.  Every 
Christian  shoidd  say,  "  Where  can  I  do  the  most  goodf 
and  if  he  can  do  more   good   anywhere  beneath   the  sun 
than  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  he  is  bound  to  go  there,  if 
he  can.     God  will  have  us  scattered  f  and  if  we  will  not 
go   afield  willingly,   he  may  use   providential  necessity 
as  the  forcible  means  of  our  dispersion. 

The  Lord's  design  is  not  the  scattering  in  itself,  but 
scattering  for  a  purpose.  He  intended  that,  being  scat- 
tered, the  saints  of  Jerusalem  shoidd  go  everywhere 
])rcaching  the  word.  Upon  this  I  am  going  to  speak  at 
this  time. 

I  would   call  your   attention   to  the  translation  in  the 


324  ALL  AT  IT, 

Ee vised  Version,  where  Philip  is  said  to  have  ^^  prO' 
claimed  "  the  word.  The  word  proclaim  is  not  quite  so 
subject  to  the  modern  sense  which  has  spoiled  the  word 
"preach."  "Preach"  has  come  to  be  a  sort  of  official 
term  for  delivering  a  set  discoui'se  ;  whereas  gospel 
preaching  is  talking,  discoursing,  and  telling  out  the  gos- 
pel in  any  way.  We  are  to  make  known  the  word  of 
the  Lord. 

I.  In  handling  my  subject,  I  shall  call  your  attention, 

first,  to  THE  UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  WORK  OF  EVANGEL- 
IZING— of  coui'se  I  mean  its  universality  among  believers. 
"  They  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word."  They ;  that  is,  all  the  scattered. 
There  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  exception.  You 
thought  it  would  have  read,  "Then  the  apostles  went 
everywhere  preaching  the  word."  They  were  just  the 
people  who  did  not  go  at  all ;  for  the  twelve  remained  at 
headquarters  as  yet ;  but  the  rest  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word.  Generals  may  have  to  stand  still 
in  the  centre  of  the  battle  to  direct  the  forces ;  but  in 
this  battle  all  the  common  soldiers  marched  to  the  fight. 
This  was  to  be  a  soldiers'  battle ;  and  of  that  sort  all  the 
battles  of  the  cross  ought  to  be. 

Observe  then,  first,  that  in  this  there  ivere  no  profes- 
sional distinctions.  It  is  not  said  that  the  ministers,  being 
scattered  abroad,  went  everywhere  proclaiming  the 
word  5  but  the  whole  of  the  scattered.  Scarcely  any- 
thing has  been  more  injurious  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
than  the  distinction  between  clergy  and  laity.  No  such 
distinction  was  ever  laid  down  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
"  Ye  are  God's  Meros  "  :  all  God's  saints  are  God's  in- 
heritance; and  we  should  regard  ourselves  as  such. 
"  Ye  are  a  royal  priesthood."     "  He  hath  made  us  unto 


ALL  AT  IT.  325 

our  God  kings  and  priests."  As  in  heaven  there  is  no 
temple  because  it  is  all  temple,  so  in  the  church  of  God 
there  is  no  priesthood  because  it  is  all  priesthood. 

We  have  among  ourselves  a  distinction  between  min- 
isters and  others.  But  you  are  all  to  minister.  There 
are  many  ministries  of  one  form  and  another  5  and 
though  God  gives  to  his  church  apostles,  teachers,  pas- 
tors, evangelists,  and  the  like,  yet  not  by  way  of  setting 
up  a  professional  caste  of  men,  who  are  to  do  the  work 
for  God  while  others  sit  still.  I  have  aforetime  used  the 
following  parable  : — In  olden  times  a  certain  host  had  con- 
quered wherever  they  went  forward  in  one  mass.  But  it 
came  to  pass  that  they  thought  themselves  so  exceeding 
strong  that  they  said,  ^^Let  not  every  man  go  to  war.  Let 
us  choose  a  few,  and  make  this  few  into  a  select  standing 
army."  They  picked  out  their  champions,  and  sent  them 
to  the  war.  These  continued  the  conflict  with  difficulty ; 
many  of  them  fell  in  the  fight.  No  provinces  were  added 
to  the  kingdom,  and  things  were  at  a  standstill.  They 
had  followed  a  fatal  policy.  The  true  method  was  for  the 
whole  of  them  to  march  to  battle.  This  is  the  true  and 
only  policy  of  Christianity — all  Christian  soldiers  of  the 
cross,  and  all  on  active  service.  Every  converted  man  is 
to  teach  what  he  knows;  all  those  who  have  drunk  of  the 
living  water  are  to  become  fountains  out  of  which  shall 
flow  rivers  of  living  water.  We  shall  never  get  back  to 
the  grand  old  times  of  conquest  until  we  get  back  to  the 
old  method  of  ^^  all  at  it."  In  proportion  as  we  come  in 
any  one  church,  to  individual  service ;  nobody  dreaming 
of  doing  his  work  by  deputy,  but  each  one  serving  God 
for  himself;  in  that  proportion,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  we  shall  come  back  to  the  old  success. 

Observe,  next,  that  there  ivere  no  professional  exceptions. 


326  ALL  AT  IT. 

Philip  is  mentioned  as  going  down  to  Samaria  to  preach ; 
but  Philip  was  originally  set  apart  to  attend  to  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  alms  of  the  church.  It  is  good  for  every 
man  to  attend  to  his  own  special  office  ;  but  where  that 
office  ceases  to  be  needful^  let  him  get  to  that  work 
which  is  common  and  constant.  The  time  has  come 
w^hen  there  was  no  need  for  the  deacon  to  sit  in  the  ves- 
try, for  the  poor  people  were  all  scattered.  What  does 
the  deacon  do  ?  As  the  work  to  which  he  was  appointed 
has  come  to  an  end,  he  keeps  to  the  work  for  which 
every  Christian  is  appointed,  and  he  proclaims  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  No  one  of  us,  then,  can  be 
exempted  from  the  work  of  spreading  the  gospel  because 
we  are  engaged  in  some  other  work.  Good  as  it  is, 
though  it  may  be  very  intimately  connected  with  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  yet  it  does  not  exonerate  us  from  the 
work  of  endeavoring  to  bring  sinners  to  Christ  in  some 
way  or  other.  Stephen,  the  deacon,  began  first  to  bear 
testimony  ;  and  when  he  died,  Philip,  the  next  on  the 
roll,  stepped  into  his  place.  One  soldier  falls,  and  an- 
other steps  forward.  All  are  to  proclaim  the  word,  and 
no  one  is  exempted  by  another  form  of  service.  Oh, 
that  the  Lord's  people  everywhere  would  note  this  ! 

Observe  that  there  were  no  educational  or  literary  ex- 
ceptions. It  is  thought  nowadays  that  a  man  must  not 
try  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  unless  he  has  had  a  good 
education.  To  try  and  preach  Christ,  and  yet  to  com- 
mit grammatical  blunders,  is  looked  upon  as  a  grave  of- 
fence. People  are  mightily  offended  at  the  idea  of  the 
gospel  being  properly  preached  by  an  uneducated  man. 
This  I  believe  to  be  a  very  injurious  mistake.  There  is 
nothing  whatsoever  in  the  whole  compass  of  Scripture  to 
excuse  any  mouth  from  speaking  for  Jesus  when  the 


ALL  AT  IT.  327 

iieart  iS  really  acquainted  with  his  salvation.  We  are 
not  all  called  to  "  preach/'  in  the  new  sense  of  the  term, 
but  we  are  all  called  to  make  Jesus  known  if  we  know 
him.  Has  the  gospel  ever  been  spread  to  any  extent  by 
men  of  high  literary  power  %  Look  through  the  whole 
line  of  history,  and  see  if  it  is  so.  Have  the  men  of 
splendid  eloquence  been  remarkable  for  winning  souls  % 
I  could  quote  names  that  stand  first  in  the  roll  of  oratory, 
which  are  Ioav  down  in  the  roll  of  soul  winners.  Those 
whom  God  has  most  honored  have  been  men  who,  what- 
ever their  gifts,  have  consecrated  them  to  God;  and 
have  earnestly  declared  the  great  truths  of  God's  Word. 
Men  who  have  been  terribly  in  earnest,  and  have  faith- 
fully described  man's  ruin  by  sin,  and  God's  remedy  of 
grace — men  who  have  warned  sinners  to  escape  from  the 
wrath  to  come  by  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus — these 
have  been  useful.  If  they  had  great  gifts,  they  were  no 
detriment  to  them  ;  if  they  had  few  talents,  this  did  not 
disqualify  them.  It  has  pleased  God  to  use  the  base 
things  of  this  world,  and  things  that  are  despised,  for  the 
accomplishment  of  his  great  purposes  of  love.  Paul  de- 
clared that  he  proclaimed  the  gospel,  ^^  not  with  w' isdom 
of  words."  Pie  feared  what  m.ight  happen  if  he  used 
worldly  rhetoric,  and  therefore  he  refused  the  wisdom  of 
words.  We  have  need  to  do  so  now  with  emphasis. 
Let  us  trust  in  the  divine  energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
speak  the  truth  in  reliance  upon  his  might,  whether  we 
can  speak  fluently  with  Apollos,  or  are  slow  of  speech, 
like  Moses.  I  say,  then,  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  who 
unhappily  may  be  lacking  in  education,  do  not  therefore 
stay  your  testimony  to  our  Lord.  Kescue  the  perishing. 
What  if  you  are  not  a  great  theologian  !  If  you  under- 
stand the  plan  of  salvation  you  are  sufficiently  instructed 


328  ALL  AT  IT. 

to  be  a  good  witness  for  your  Lord.  Oh,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  make  you  such  !  A  smith  can  shoe  a  horse, 
though  he  has  never  studied  astronomy.  He  might  be 
none  the  worse  smith  if  he  were  familiar  with  the  stars  j 
but  I  fail  to  see  that  he  would  be  much  the  better  as  a 
smith.  Warn  men  to  escape  from  the  wrath  to  come, 
and  believe  in  Jesus  ;  and  you  can  do  thi&  just  as  well 
though  no  science  has  puzzled  you. 

As  there  were  no  exceptions  on  account  of  educational 
defects,  so  were  there  no  exclusions  on  account  of  sex. 
Men  and  women  were  to  spread  abroad  the  knowledge 
of  Jesus.  We  read  that,  '^  As  for  Saul,  he  made  havoc 
of  the  church,  entering  into  every  house,  and  haling  men 
and  tvomen  committed  them  to  prison.  Therefore  they 
that  were  scattered  abroad  "  (and  these  must  have  been 
men  and  ivomen)  ''  went  everywhere  preaching  the 
word." 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  women  can  fit- 
tingly proclaim  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  in  some  of 
these  they  can  proclaim  it  more  efficiently  than  men. 
There  are  minds  that  will  be  attracted  by  the  ten- 
der, plaintive,  winning  manner  in  which  the  sister  in 
Christ  expresses  hexself.  A  Christian  mother !  What 
a  minister  is  she  to  her  family  !  A  Christian  woman  in 
single  life — in  the  family  circle,  or  even  in  domestic  ser- 
vice— ^what  may  she  not  accomplish,  if  her  heart  be 
warm  with  love  to  her  Saviour  !  We  cannot  say  to  the 
women,  ^'  Go  home,  there  is  nothing  for  you  to  do  in  the 
service  of  the  Lord.''  Far  from  it,  we  entreat  Martha  and 
Mary,  Lydia  and  Dorcas,  and  all  the  elect  sisterhood, 
young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  to  instruct  others  as  God 
instructs  them.  Young  men  and  maidens,  old  men  and 
matrons,   yes,  and  boys  and  girls  who  love  the  Lord, 


ALL   AT  LT.  329 

should  speak  well  of  Jesus,  and  make  known  his  salva- 
tion-from  day  to  day. 

You  see,  dear  friends,  how  the  Lord  gave  to  all  his  peo- 
ple the  holy  work  of  making  Jesus  known  to  men. 
How  well  they  carried  it  out  !  Within  a  hundred  years 
after  the  death  of  our  Lord,  his  name  had  been  made 
known  to  all  the  known  world.  But  I  do  not  know  how 
many  years  it  will  take  to  make  Christ  known  at  the 
rate  of  our  present  movement.  A  few  men  are  set  apart 
for  missionaries,  and  directed  with  complicated  machinery, 
and  good  people  feel  easy  about  the  heathen.  I  find  no 
fault  with  what  is  done  ;  but  my  faidt  is  that  we  are  not 
doing  a  hundred  times  as  much  in  ways  more  spontane- 
ous. If  the  church  of  God  should  once  wake  up,  it  will 
be  as  the  sea  when  it  returns  to  its  strength  after  a  long 
ebb.  The  Lord  send  it — send  it  now  !  But  he  will  only 
bless  the  world  in  his  own  way ;  and  one  of  his  conditions 
is  that  the  whole  church  should  move.  We  must  come 
back  to  the  primitive  custom  :  every  Christian  must  be  a 
herald  of  the  cross. 

II.  Secondly,  having  asked  you  to  notice  the  universal- 
ity of  the  work,  will  you  please  to  notice  the  natural- 
ness OF  IT.  That  word  "  therefore,"  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  fourth  verse,  says  a  great  deal  to  me. 
^'  Therefore  they  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  ever^^- 
wlier.e  preaching  the  word" — as  if  it  followed  as  a  sort  of 
natural  consequence,  that  being  scattered  they  went 
everywhere  preaching  the  word.  Does  not  this  show  us 
that  they  could  not  thinJc  of  folloiving  any  other  course  f 
They  that  were  scattered  might  have  said,  ^^  Clearly  our 
duty  is  to  hold  our  tongues ;  we  have  got  into  great 
trouble  at  Jerusalem  because  we  preached  Christ.  We 
must  now  look  to  our  own  safetv,  and  the  comfort  of  our 


330  ALL  AT  IT. 

families  ;  and  in  these  foreign  countries  we  had  bettei 
live  godly  lives,  and  go  to  heaven  on  the  sly,  but  we  need 
not  again  expose  oui'selves  to  the  dangers  of  persecu- 
tion.'^  They  did  not  thus  argue.  It  is  not  said, 
"'  Therefore  they  that  were  scattered  abroad  slunk  away, 
and  held  their  tongues."  No,  they  never  thought  of 
that. 

We  do  not  find  that  they  even  said,  ^^  This  gospel  of 
ours  is  evidently  not  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  age. 
The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  all  differ  from  us,  and  we 
must  endeavor  to  win  them  by  altering  our  tone."  They 
did  not  dream  of  cutting  off  the  angles  of  truth,  nor  of 
inserting  pleasant  fragments  of  popular  thought  to  please 
the  powers  that  be;  but  they  set  forth  ^^  the  word  "in 
its  pure  simplicity,  and  the  cross  of  Christ,  which  is  an 
offence  to  so  many.  They  never  said,  "  The  old  gospel 
did  very  well  when  Jesus  was  here  \  but  you  see  he  has 
gone  J  and  circumstances  alter  cases,  and  alter  gospels, 
and  we  had  better  adapt  our  teaching  to  the  period." 
They  did  not  so  because  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  They 
did  not  endeavor  to  mend  the  gospel,  but  they  went  every- 
where proclaiming  it.  They  preached  the  word  as  they 
received  it ;  they  set  forth  the  kingdom  as  their  King 
had  revealed  it.  All,  dear  friends  !  if  you  are  true  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  you  have  to  spread  the  gospel 
somehow,  and  it  must  be  the  old,  old  gospel.  You  must 
not  dare  to  think  of  denying  the  light  to  those  aromid 
you.  Would  you  leave  men  to  perish  for  lack  of  knovvd- 
edge  %     Dare  you  have  their  blood  on  your  skirts  % 

These  persecuted  ones  '^  went  everywhere  j)i'eaching 
the  word."  Why  was  it  so  natural  to  them  to  do  it  ? 
Their  obligations  pressed  upon  them.  They  each  one  of 
them  said,  ^^  I  have   been   saved,  and  I  must  see  othera 


ALL  AT  IT.  331 

saved.  I  am  bound  to  tell  of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  its 
poAver  toAvash  away  sin.  The  curses  of  the  ages  will  fall 
upon  me,  and  the  wails  of  lost  souls  will  come  up  into 
my  ears  as  long  as  I  exist,  if  1  do  not  make  known  the 
gospel.'^  Brethren,  God's  way  of  saving  the  unconvert- 
ed is  through  his  church  ;  and  if  the  church  neglects  its 
work,  who  is  to  do  it  %  Our  Lord  means  to  bring  in  tho 
rest  of  his  chosen  through  those  who  are  already  called ; 
but  if  these  start  aside  and  are  untrue  to  their  calling, 
how  is  the  work  to  be  done  !  I  know  the  work  is  of 
God  alone  ;  still  he  uses  instruments.  If  you  do  not  tei] 
the  gospel,  you  are  leaving  your  fellow-men  to  perish. 
Yonder  is  the  wreck,  and  you  are  not  sending  out  the 
life-boat  !  Yonder  are  souls  starving,  and  you  give 
them  no  bread  !  Weil,  if  you  are  resolved  to  be  thus  in^ 
human,  at  least  know  what  you  are  doing.  You  that 
are  taking  no  share  in  this  great  work  of  spreading  the 
gospel  are  wilfully  allowing  men  to  go  down  to  hell,  and 
their  blood  will  be  required  at  your  hands.  These  first 
believers  dared  not  incur  such  guilt,  and  therefore  away 
they  went  preaching  the  word. 

I  think,  too,  that  iheir  tvonderment  compelled  them. 
They  had  seen  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  and  they  had  com- 
muned with  him.  They  had  beheld  his  Godhead  in  his 
miracles,  and  they  had  adored.  They  had  seen  him  nailod 
to  the  cross ;  they  had  many  of  them  beheld  him  alive 
after  he  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  they  coidd  not 
help  telling  out  so  great  a  marvel.  Here  was  God  come 
down  among  men.  Here  was  the  Redeemer  of  men  suf- 
fering to  the  death  to  rescue  men  from  eternal  ruin  ;  and 
they  could  not  help  telling  abroad  this  miracle  of  love. 
They  were  like  children,  who,  when  they  hear  a  bit  of 
startling  news,  must  tell  it.     Good  men  that  they  v/ere, 


332  ALL   AT  LT. 

their  wonderment  and  their  joy  were  equal,  and  they  could 
not  hold  their  peace.  When  ancient  believers  were  shut 
up  in  prison,  they  began  to  sing  the  gospel  until  the  pris- 
oners heard  them.  They  had  something  to  sing  about, 
and  they  must  sing  it.  If  they  took  them  out  of  the 
temple  by  force^behold,  the  moment  the  prison  doors 
were  opened,  they  were  fomid  standing  in  the  same 
place,  telling  the  same  story.  If  you  and  I  felt  that 
blessed  amazement  which  we  ought  to  feel  when  we  think 
of  free  grace  and  dying  love,  silence  would  be  impos- 
sible. 

The  principal  reason  for  their  constant  proclamation 
of  Jesus  was,  that  tliey  were  in  a  fine  state  of  spiritual 
health,  'They  went  everywhere  preaching  the  word 
when  scattered  abroad,  because  they  had  told  it  out 
when  at  home.  You  will  never  make  a  missionary  of 
the  person  who  does  no  good  at  home.  If  you  do  not 
seek  souls  in  your  own  street,  you  will  not  do  so  in  Ilin- 
dostan.  If  you  are  of  no  use  in  Whitechapel,  you  will 
be  of  no  use  on  the  Congo.  He  that  will  not  serve  the 
Lord  in  the  Sunday-school  at  home,  will  not  win  children 
to  Christ  in  China.  Distance  lends  no  real  enchantment 
to  Christian  service.  You  who  do  nothing  now,  are  not 
fit  for  the  war,  for  you  are  in  sad  health.  The  Lord 
give  you  spiritual  health  and  vigor,  and  then  you  v»dll 
want  no  pressing,  but  you  will  cry  at  once,  ^'  Here  am 
I;  send  me  !  "  0  my  friends,  go  at  once  to  your  families, 
to  your  workshops,  and  declare  the  name  of  Jesus  !  Oh, 
for  more  spiritual  life  !  This  is  the  root  of  the  matter. 
If  we  were  living  more  fully  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  our  witness  would  be  borne  without  constraint : 
it  woidd  be  as  natural  to  us  to  spread  the  gospel  as  to 
breathe.     We    should   be    under    holy    impulses    whicb 


ALL  AT  IT.  333 

would  demand  our  Avitness-bcaring  ;  for  if  we  could  not 
speak  the  word  of  the  Lord,  it  would  be  as  fire  in  our 
bones;  Ave  should  become  weary  with  withholding.  Lord, 
give  us  this  spiritual  life  more  and  more  ! 

Surely  also  the  times  must  have  urged  them  omvardy  to 
go  with  hurried  steps  as  messengers  for  Christ ;  for  Je- 
tt'usalem  was  soon  to  be  destroyed.  This  made  them 
quick  in  their  movements,  that  the  last  warning  might 
come  to  all  their  countrymen.  You  know  what  the 
times  are  now !  I  am  no  prophet ;  but  as  we  read, 
week  by  week,  the  appalling  crimes  that  are  chronicled 
by  the  press,  if  ever  Christian  men  should  be  in  earnest, 
they  should  be  in  earnest  noAV.  All  the  signs  of  the  times 
arouse  us  to  look  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord.  No  token 
tend^  to  quiet  us,  but  all  to  aAvaken  us.  Yv^e  must  work 
at  double  quick  rate ;  and  if  any  one  among  us  has  done 
nothing  at  all,  it  is  time  for  him,  as  a  good  servant,  to 
gird  up  his  loins,  to  work  and  to  Avatch,  ^^  for  in  such  an 
hour  as  he  thinks  not  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  I  liaA^e 
been  praying  all  the  AAdiile  that  I  liaA^e  been  speaking  this 
morning  ;  yes,  praying  more  than  preaching,  that  God 
may  distinctly  lay  his  hand  on  every  brother  and  sister 
in  this  place,  and  constrain  you  to  proclaim  this  gospel 
of  Jesus  in  every  place  to  Avhicli  you  can  go. 

III.  Thirdly,  carefully  notice  THE  JOYFULXESS  OF 
THIS  AVOKK.  ^'  They  were  scattered  abroad "  ;  but  as 
^^  they  went  CA^eryAAdiere  preaching  the  word,''  the  ca- 
lamity became  a  blessing.  Their  work  took  the  sting 
out  of  their  banishment.  The  houscAvife  had  to  leaA^e  her 
comfortable  little  home,  and  tramp  to  a  strange  country  : 
the  man  of  business  had  to  sell  his  stock,  and  quit 
his  position.  Those  Avere  very  hard  times  beyond 
question.     Fancy  that  happening  to  us  !     What  distress 


334  ALL  AT  IT, 

would  spread  over  tliis  congregation  if  you  had  to  run 
for  your  lives  I  But  then  they  said  to  themselves,  "  It 
is  aU  right ;  for  as  we  live  to  spread  abroad  the  knowl- 
edge of  JesuS;  we  shall  do  this  wherever  we  go.  Our 
flight  shall  be  a  mission."  This  changed  the  aspect  of 
affairs.  By  the  persecution  they  received  express  march- 
ing orders  to  quit  home  and  take  to  foreign  servicCo 
Was  not  this  a  comfort  %  For  myself,  I  always  like  to 
know  the  Lord's  will  clearly.  Suspense  kills  me.  K  I 
have  any  question  about  what  my  course  should  be,  I. 
am  worried  more  than  I  can  tell.  Even  distress  is  a  re- 
lief vv^hen  it  shuts  you  up  to  one  course.  Persecution 
became  both  a  direction  as  to  their  course  and  an  occa- 
sion for  getting  to  work.  As  they  must  go  elsewhere, 
they  would  talk  of  salvation  by  faith  in  Jesus  to  the  peo- 
ple among  whom  they  might  be  called  to  sojourn,  and  so 
tell  out  the  st.ory  of  redemption  to  people  who  were  totally 
ignorant  thereof.  This  made  them  feel  it  was  a  good 
thing  after  all  that  they  were  scattered  abroad.  Dear 
friends,  if  your  heart  is  set  on  a  purpose,  and  there  comes 
a  crash  which  spoils  your  comfort,  you  hardly  lament  it 
if  it  subserves  your  chief  design  in  life.  If  you  are  pos- 
sessed \vith  the  idea  that  you,  as  a  Christian,  must  live 
only  to  serve  Christ,  and  to  win  souls,  then  anything 
which  happens,  however  painful,  will  be  Avelcomed  if  it 
places  you  in  a  better  position  for  your  holy  life-work. 
That  is  the  better  place  in  which  you  can  serve  the 
Lord  better.  So  that  the  tried  people  of  God  at  Jeru- 
salem must  have  felt  devoutly  comforted  as  they  saw 
that  God  was  helping  them  to  answer  the  great  purpose 
of  their  lives,  and  was  pushing  them  forward  by  pushing 
them  out. 

Their  exile  would  be  a  help  in  gaining  attention  j  for 


ALL  AT  IT.  335 

when  tlicy  came  to  a  place,  the  people  would  inquire, 
^^  Why  arc  these  Jews  coining  here  %  "  And  the  answer 
would  be,  that  they  had  been  forced  from  home  because 
tliey  believed  in  one  Jesus,  who  was  called  Christ,  who  had 
died  for  men,  so  that  by  faith  in  him  they  might  be 
saved.  For  love  of  this  Saviour  they  had  been  driven 
from  their  native  land.  The  people  may  not  have 
thought  them  wise,  but  doubtless  they  would  1  e  inter- 
ested in  their  story,  and  thus  made  aware  of  their  faith. 
Curiosity  would  ask  of  yonder  Jewess,  ''  How  came  you 
to  be  here,  Naomi,"  And  Naomi  would  tell  the  story  of 
the  crucified  Saviour.  ^'  And  you,  Benjamin,  what 
drove  you  from  Palestine  ?  "  He,  too,  would  have  to 
narrate  the  life  and  death  of  the  Nazarene,  and  so  Jesus 
woidd  be  made  known.  Persecution  thus  opened  men's 
minds  to  inquire,  and  served  the  purpose  of  advertising 
tlie  gospel.  Thus  the  Lord  set  up  pulpits  for  his  ser- 
vants wherever  they  went,  and  provided  congregations 
for  them.  What  Satan  intended  for  evil  the  Lord  turned 
for  good.  What  better  could  have  happened  than  for  all 
these  holy  men  and  women  to  be  driven  abroad  to  dis- 
seminate the  ever  blessed  word  I  This,  as  they  thought 
of  it,  made  them  bear  their  exile  without  repining.  An 
all-absorbing  purpose  turned  sorrow  into  joy.  I  cannot 
conceive  of  anything  so  calculated  to  reconcile  them  to 
their  banishment  as  the  prospect  of  glorifying  God  the 
more.  The  martyr  spirit  is  just  the  spirit  of  witness- 
bearing  overcoming  all  love  of  self  and  even  care  for 
life. 

Moreover,  as  they  told  the  story,  and  it  made  their 
own  hearts  gloAV  with  holy  tiro,  their  spirits  were  refreshed 
and  their  souls  made  glad.  Jesus  seems  still  to  be  near 
them  :  yes,  he  was  with   them.     They   found  the   surest 


336  ^LL  AT  IT, 

remedy  for  their  grief  in  his  sacred  fellowship  :  nay,  the 
grief  itself  became  gladness.  If  you  want  to  get  rid  of 
low  spirits,  preach  the  gospel.  To  take  Christ's  yoke  is 
to  find  rest  unto  your  soids.  If  you  are  in  the  very  dust 
go  and  teU  a  weary  one  of  salvation  by  Jesus  :  you  will 
thus  raise  yourself,  even  if  your  message  be  rejected. 
Here  is  a  balm,  which, ,  while  it  heals  the  wound  to 
which  it  is  applied,  also  perfumes  the  hand  which  applies 
it.  The  exiles  were  made  to  feel  at  home  when  they 
saw  God  working  with  them  in  Greece  and  Rome,  even 
as  he  had  done  in  Jerusalem. 

I  may  add  that,  if  they  were  led  to  see  that  they  were 
now  made  like  their  Lord  in  suffering  they  would 
have  comfort  in  that  fact>  If  they  now  remembered 
what  he  said  concerning  the  grain  of  wheat,  which  must 
be  cast  into  the  ground  and  die,  or  it  could  not  bring 
forth  fruit,  they  would  now  feel  that  they  were  having 
fellowship  with  him  in  his  sufferings.  This  was  enough 
to  make  them  a  happy  body  of  men  and  women.  They 
were  scattered,  but  not  saddened.  Theirs  was  not  the 
scattering  of  a  retreat,  but  of  an  advance  all  along  the 
line  ;  and  so  it  yielded  them  joy,  and  not  distress.  I 
entreat  you,  try  active  service  as  a  solan ce  for  sorrow. 

ly.  Notice,  fourthly,  the  supee3IACY  of  this  work. 
^^  They  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word."  I  suppose  they  did  something  for 
a  living.  I  do  not  know  what  their  handicrafts  might 
be  ;  but  each  one  had  a  calling,  and  followed  it  indus- 
triously. We  are  not  told  what  they  did.  It  is  inci- 
dentally mentioned,  further  on  in  history,  that  the  apos- 
tle Paul  made  tents  :  but  you  never  read  anywhere  in 
the  Bible  that  Paul  went  everywhere  tent  making.  He 
did  make  tents,  but  that  was  not  his  vocation  ;  his  busi- 


ALL  AT  IT.  337 

ncss  was  to  save  souls.  He  made  tents,  in  order  tliat  he 
miglit  not  be  chargeable  to  the  people ;  but  winnmg 
souls  was  Paul's  business.  The  scattered  did  not  go 
abroad  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  They  did  not  say, 
^'  We  will  go  to  such  a  place,  because  there  we  can 
make  the  best  profits  "  ;  but  they  chose  their  way  with 
the  one  purpose  of  spreading  the  gospel.  To  preach 
Christ  was  their  one  vocation  which,  like  Aaron's  rod, 
swallowed  up  all  the  other  rods.  Proclaiming  Christ  was 
their  one  pui'pose,  passion,  and  profession  :  all  else  might 
go.  I  wonder  how  many  Christian  people  here  could 
have  their  biographies  condensed  into  this  line,  "  He 
lived  to  make  Christ  known."  Might  it  not  be  said  of 
one,  he  lived  to  open  a  shop,  and  then  to  open  a  second? 
or  of  another,  he  lived  to  save  a  good  deal  of  money,  and 
take  shares  in  limited  liability  companies  %  or  of  a  third, 
he  lived  to  paint  a  great  picture  I  or  of  a  fourth,  he  was 
best  known  for  his  genial  hospitality  %  Of  many  a  min- 
ister it  might  be  said — he  lived  to  preach  splendid  ser- 
mons, and  to  gain  credit  for  fine  oratory.  What  of  all 
these  %  If  it  can  be  said  of  a  man,  '^  He  lived  to  glorify 
Christ,'^  then  his  life  is  a  life.  Every  Christian  man 
ought  so  to  live.  Oh  that  my  memorial  might  be:  "  He 
preached  Christ  crucified  '' !  You  fall  short  of  your  de- 
sign in  life  if  Jesus  is  not  as  much  your  object  as  he  is 
your  confidence.  Make  your  tents,  sell  you  goods,  paint 
your  pictures  if  you  will;  but  do  all  this  in  order  that  you 
may  fulfil  your  higher  and  truer  life,  for  which  you  were 
bought  with  blood,  and  quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
We  note  the  supremacy  of  this  work,  not  only  because 
it  swallowed  up  all  their  trades,  but  because  it  ohliterated 
all  trace  of  caste.  See  Philip.  He  is  a  Jew,  but  he  goes 
to  Samaria.     ^^  Philip,  what  made  you  go  to  Samaria? 


338  ALL   AT  IT. 

Jews  have  no  dealings  with  Samaritans."  Brethren, 
when  it  comes  to  preaching  Christ,  we  have  dealings 
with  everybody — Jews,  Turks,  infidels,  cannibals.  The 
Jew  goes  to  Samaria  for  Christ,  and  the  Samaritans  ac- 
cept the  Messiah  of  the  Jews.  Anon  Philip  is  called 
down  south  to  journey  along  a  desert  way,  and  there  he 
meets  an  Ethiopian,  probably  a  black  man.  Ah  well ! 
white  men  were  not  particularly  anxious  for  the  company 
of  Ethiopians,  but  Philip  gets  up  into-  his  chariot,  and 
rides  with  him.  Black  and  white  make  a  fine  mixture 
when  the  book  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  lies  between 
them. 

What  a  beai\tifid  picture  this  would  make  !  Philip 
and  the  -eunuch  riding  together  reading  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  in  the  Hebrew  prophets.  All  the  paltry  difi'er- 
ences  of  sect,  politics,  nationalities  and  races  go  to  the 
winds  as  soon  as  we  are  possessed  with  a  desire  to  win 
souls.  "  Oh,  but  they  are  so  dirty  !  "  Let  us  show 
them  how  they  can  be  cleansed.  ^^  But  the  slum  is  so 
foul !  "  Yet  for  the  love  of  Jesus  we  will  enter  it  to 
carry  his  saving  health  among  the  people. 

What  is  more,  we  shall  not  only  be  willing  to  work  for 
the  poor  and  fallen,  but  we  shall  ivorlz  ivitli  tJiem.  You, 
a  person  of  taste  and  culture,  will  join  hands  with  the 
illiterate  worker,  and  while  you  are  half  amused  at  his 
blunders,  you  will  be  charmed  by  his  zeal.  Y^ou  will 
not  despise  him,  but  you  may  even  feel  humbled  as  you 
see  how,  with  less  knoAvledge  than  yourself,  he  often 
shows  more  spiritual  wisdom  and  energy.  You  will  take 
a  brotherly  pride  in  such  a  man.  Caste  is  gone  when 
Christ  is  come.  Oh,  that  we  might  feel  the  supremacy 
of  our  holy  service  more  and  more  !  Christ  must  be 
made  known 5  sinners  must   be   saved;  heaven  must  be 


ALL  AT  IT. 


339 


filled ;  and  before  these  necessities  everything  else  must 
be  as  nothing.     Are  you  not  of  this  mind  ? 

See,  also,  the  supremacy  of  their  purpose,  in  the  fact 
that  tlicy  ivere  willing  to  be  at  the  hccJc  and  call  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  to  go  anywhere.  Pliilip  was  getting  on 
splendidly  at  Samaria,  and  the  church  grew  under  his 
care.  Surely  he  ought  to  stop  there,  he  is  evidently  the 
man  for  the  place  !  But  he  does  not  stop  there.  Philip 
has  a  call,  not  to  a  larger  church,  but  to  the  road 
througli  the  desert,  and  away  he  goes  to  talk  to  one  per- 
son. The  genuine  soul-winner  has  his  inward  directions, 
and  he  follows  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  cf  God.  Here, 
there,  anywhere,  everywhere  he  goes,  where  the  hope  of 
conversions  tempts  him.  When  a  sportsman  goes  out 
after  game,  he  does  not  know  which  way  he  will  go, 
neither  does  he  bind  himself  in  that  matter.  If  he  is 
deer-stalking,  he  may  have  to  go  up  the  mountain  side, 
or  down  the  glen,  across  the  burn,  or  away  among  the 
heather.  Where  his  sport  leads  him,  he  follows  ;  and 
so  it  is  with  the  genuine  soul- winner  ;  he  leaves  himself 
free  to  follow  his  one  object.  He  does  not  know  where 
he  is  going,  but  he  does  know  what  he  is  going  after. 
He  lays  himself  out  for  the  winning  of  souls  for  Jesus. 
On  the  railway  he  speaks  to  any  one  who  happens  to  be 
put  in  the  same  carriage  ;  or  in  the  shop  he  looks  out 
f  u-  opportunities  to  impress  a  customer.  He  sows  beside 
all  waters,  and  in  all  soils.  He  carries  his  gun  at  half- 
cock,  ready  to  take  aim  at  once.  That  is  the  man  whom 
God  is  likely  to  bless. 

Note  yet  one  thing  more  :  the  supremacy  of  this  work 
was  seen  in  the  fact  that  these  good  people  tvere  quite  ivill- 
ing  to  subside ,  Philip  has  done  a  great  work  at  Samaria, 
but  he  sends  for  the  apostles  Peter  and   John   to   come 


340  ALL  A  T  IT. 

doAYii  from  Jerusalem.  Some  few  earnest  workers  Lave 
been  impatient  of  discipline,  but  the  best  of  tliem  are  the 
most  orderly  people  in  the  world.  Some  brethren  are 
just  as  ready  to  obey  church  authority  as  if  they  were 
the  least  of  all  saints,  instead  of  being  the  most  success- 
ful of  the  brotherhood.  It  is  not  well  when  our  Philips 
are  too  big  to  work  in  connection  with  the  mother-church. 
I  have  never  found  them  so.  The  idle  are  troublesome ; 
the  laborious  are  loving.  Philip  turns  into  nobody  just 
as  readily  as  before  he  had  been  everybody.  Peter  and 
John  come  upon  the  scene,  and  seem,  as  it  were,  to  run 
away  with  his  laurels  ;  but  Philip  makes  no  complaint, 
for  in  fact  there  were  no  laurels  for  any  of  them  ;  all  the 
glory  was  given  to  Jesus.  Whether  it  were  Philip,  or 
Peter,  or  John,  the  Lord  alone  was  magnified.  Blessed 
is  that  man  who  knows  how  to  subside.  Oh,  that  there 
were  thousands  of  workers  of  this  kind  Avilling  to  come 
to  the  front,  and  lead  the  way,  and  just  as  willing  to  step 
aside,  if  thereby  the  cause  might  advance  ! 

V.  Thus  have  I  brought  this  matter  before  you,  and 
I  shall  now  beg  you  to  observe  the  speciality  of  this 
WORK.  I  have  shown  you  its  universality,  its  natural- 
ness, its  joyfidness,  and  its  supremacy  ;  and  now  we 
will  dwell  upon  its  speciality.  Philip  is  set  before  us  as 
a  specimen  of  those  who  were  scattered  abroad.  A 
sample  shows  the  whole.  What  did  Philip  make  prom- 
inent %  "  Philip  went  down  to  the  city  of  Samaria, 
and  preached  Christ  unto  them."  That  is  all  he  had  to 
preach,  he  preached  the  Messiah,  the  Anointed  One, 
the  Christ.  But  when  Philip  had  to  instruct  an  educated 
nobleman,  did  he  dwell  on  the  same  subject  as  that  which 
he  brought  before  common  Samaritans  1  Eead  the 
thirty-fifth  verse.     ^'  Then  Philip  opened  his  mouth  and 


ALL  AT  IT.  341 

began  at  the  same  scripture,  and  preached  unto  him 
JesiisJ^  liere  we  have  the  same  subject  as  before  :  to  the 
Samaritans  Christ,  to  the  Ethiopian  Jesus.  See,  then, 
what  we  have  to  do.  We  have  to  tell  over  and  over 
again  what  we  know  so  well,  that  God  was  in  Christ  re- 
conciling the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their  tres- 
passes unto  them.  The  Saviour  lived  here  a  life  of  holy 
obedience,  and  then  died,  ^^  the  just  for  the  unjust,  to 
bring  us  to  God."  We  preach  that  this  Jesus  made 
atonement  for  sin,  so  that  whosoever  belie veth  in  him 
hath  eternal  life,  and  shall  never  come  into  condemna- 
tion. We  declare  that  Jesus  rose  again,  and  that  this 
new  life  he  bestows  on  those  who  trust  him ;  that  he  has 
gone  into  heaven  to  take  possession  of  the  inheritance 
for  his  people,  and  to  plead  for  them  before  the  throne  ; 
and  that  those  who  are  in  him  shall  one  day  be  with  him 
and  behold  his  glory.  In  a  word,  we  preach  Jesns 
as  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world. 

This  is  the  old,  old  story.  It  is  a  very  simple  story, 
but  the  telling  of  it  will  save  the  people.  Keep  to  that 
gospel.  Many  have  lost  faith  in  it.  It  is  hoped  that 
people  will  now  be  saved  by  new  socialistic  arrange- 
ments, by  moral  precepts,  by  amusements,  by  societies, 
and  what  not.  Let  the  church  of  God  be  glad  when 
anytliing  is  done  which  helps  temperance,  purity,  free- 
dom, and  so  forth ;  but  her  one  business  is  to  preach 
Christ.  Stick  to  this,  my  brethren.  If  all  the  shoe- 
makers in  London  were  to  take  to  making  bracelets  for 
the  Queen,  she  would  be  badly  decorated  ;  but  where 
should  we  be  ?  Let  the  cobblers  stick  to  their  lasts. 
You  that  are  sent  to  preach  Christ,  if  you  take  to  doing 
something    else,    and    become    philosophical,    socialistic, 


342  ALL  A  T  IT. 

philanthropic,  and  all  that,  what  is  to  become  of  the  spir- 
itual nature  of  men  %  Keep  you  to  your  work.  Go  and 
preach  Christ  to  the  people.  I  have  not  lost  faith  in  the 
old  gospel.  No  ;  my  confidence  in  it  grows  as  I  see  the 
speedy  failure  of  all  the  quackeries  of  succeeding  years. 
The  methods  of  the  modern  school  are  a  bottle  of  smoke. 
Christ  crucified  is  the  only  remedy  for  sin.  Keep  to  the 
gospel  of  ^^  believe  and  live."  ^^  Whosoever  belie veth  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  everlasting  life."  If  this 
gospel  does  not  uplift  the  race,  nothing  will.  This  is 
the  only  medicine  which  the  great  Physician  has  given 
to  us  to  administer  to  sin-sick  souls.  Keep  to  it. 
^^  There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  We  want  no  ad- 
vance, we  dream  of  no  improvement  upon  the  gospel. 

In  closing,  I  would  call  your  attention  to  two  little 
words  in  the  fifth  verse.  "•  Philip  went  down  to  the 
city  of  Samaria,  and  preached  Christ,"  allow  me  to  put 
the  next  two  words  in  capitals — '•''  unto  them."  Read 
the  thirty-fifth  verse.  ^^  Philip  opened  his  mouth,  and 
began  at  the  same  scripture,  and  preached  unto  him 
Jesus." 

Somebody  said  to  Mr.  Moody  —  '•'•  How  are  we 
to  get  at  the  masses  ?  "  He  replied,  '^  Go  for  them." 
The  expression  is  forcible,  ^^  Go  for  them."  Go  for  them 
in  the  name  of  Christ.  Go  right  at  them.  Do  not  only 
preach  Christ,  but  preach  Christ  %mto  tliem.  Preach 
Jesus  to  the  individual  man.  It  is  the  work  of  the 
church  of  God,  as  much  as  lieth  in  us  to  bring  Christ 
home  to  the  people's  knowledge,  thought,  belief,  con- 
science and  heart.  Preach  it  unto  them.  If  I  stand  here 
and  preach  before  you,  wdiat  is  the  good  of  it  ?  but  if  I 
preach  unto  you,  there  is  practical  use  in  it.     When  you 


ALL  AT  IT.  343 

go  out  of  this  place,   I  pray  you  to  look  out  your  man  or 
your  woman,  and  speak  unto  him  or  unto  her  Jesus  the 
Christ.     Come  to  close    dealings.     I   fear  that  some  of 
you  fathers  have   not  yet  prayed  with  your  boys,    and 
some  of  you  mothers  have  not  yet  taken  your  girls  apart 
and  talked  with  them  about  eternal  things.      Have  you  ? 
You   say,  ^^  I  am  so  retiring.'^     Then  retire  and  pray ; 
but  love  your  children  enough  to  speak  to  them  of  Jesus. 
You  sisters,  have  you  spoken  to   your   brothers  about 
Jesus  ?     Have  some   of  you  wives  yet  spoken  to  your 
ungodly  husbands  about  tlie  Christ  %     This  is  the  point. 
If  we  wid   each  one   speak   for  our  Lord,  we  shall  see 
results   that   will  perfectly   astound  us.     If,   during  the 
next  few  months,  this  church  woidd  fully  wake  up,  and 
if  every  member  would  feel,  ^^  I  have  something  to  do, 
and  I  must  do  it,"  we  should  then  see  a  glorious  harvest. 
When  my  brethren  Fullerton  and  Smith  hold    special 
services  in  this  place,  as  they  will  do  in  the  beginning  of 
Kovember,   yo  i  will  help    to  get    in  the   people  and  to 
crowd  the  place ;  and  when  they  preach,  you  will  pray 
and  watch,  and  look  up  the  inquirers,  and  we  shall  have 
great  times.     If  you  will  go  after  people  at  their  houses, 
and  give   them  your  own  personal  testimony  in  loving 
earnestness,  the  Holy  Spirit  will  bless  you.     Oh,  may 
God  arouse  us  to  this!    I  say  again,  I  have  not  preached 
this  morning  half  so  much  as  I  have  prayed.     For  every 
word    that  I  have  spoken    I  have    prayed   two    words 
silently  to  God.     Oh,  that  the  Lord  would  hear  me,  and 
bless  us  in  an  unusual  degree  !     If  the  Lord  will  fill  you 
with  his  Spirit,  the   opening  of  yonder   front   doors  and 
your  going  out  will  be  like  the  bursting  of  a  bomb-shell 
in  London.     If  you  are  all  in  earnest,  your  existence  will 
1)0  like  the  shining  of  the  sun  in  the  heavens.     Oh,  how 


314  ^^^-  ^'^  ^^• 

I  long  that  God  may  be  glorified  !  For  his  truth's  sake 
I  have  been  ^^ abundantly  filled  with  reproach";  but  I 
would  gladly  accept  a  sevenfold  baptism  of  it  so  that  his 
kingdom  would  come.  May  the  Lord  make  bare  his 
holy  arm  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  people !  Amen^  and 
Amen, 


XVI. 

NO    COMPEOMISEo 

October  7,  1888. 

"And  tlie  servant  said  unto  him,  Peradventure  tLe  woman  will 
not  1)0  willing  to  follow  me  unto  this  laud :  must  I  needs  bring  tLy 
sou  agaiu  unto  tlie  land  from  whence  thou  camest  ?  And  Abraham 
said  unto  him,  Beware  thou  that  thou  bring  not  my  son  thither 
again.  The  Lord  God  of  heaven,  which  took  me  from  my  father's 
house,  and  from  the  land  of  my  kindred,  and  which  spake  unto  me, 
and  that  sware  unto  me,  saying,  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this 
land ;  he  shall  see  and  his  angel  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt  take 
a  wife  unto  my  son  from  thence.  And  if  the  woman  will  not  be 
willing  to  follow  thee,  then  thou  shalt  be  clear  from  this  my  oath : 
only  bring  not  my  sou  thither  again."— Genesis  xsiv.  5 — 8. 

Genesis  is  botli  the  book  of  beginnings  and  tlie  book  of 
dispensations.  You  know  what  use  Paul  makes  of  Sarah 
and  Hagar,  of  Esau  and  Jacob,  and  the  like.  Genesis 
is,  all  through,  a  book  instructing  the  reader  in  the  dis- 
pensations of  God  towards  man.  Paul  saith,  in  a  cer- 
tain place,  ''  which  things  are  an  allegory,''  by  which  he 
did  not  mean  that  they  were  not  literal  facts,  but  that, 
being  literal  facts,  they  might  also  be  used  instructively 
as  an  allegory.  So  may  I  say  of  this  chapter.  It  re- 
cords what  actually  was  said  and  done  f  but  at  the  same 
time,  it  bears  within  it  allegorical  instruction  w^itli  re- 
gard to  heavenly  things.  The  true  minister  of  Christ 
is  like  this  Eleazar  of  Damascus  ;  he  is  sent  to  find  a 
wife  for  his    Master's  Son.     His    great  desire  is,   that 

(345) 


346  NO  COMPROMISE. 

many  shall  be  presented  unto  Christ  in  the  day  of  his 
appearing^  as  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 

The  faithful  servant  of  Abraham,  before  he  started, 
communed  with  his  master  ;  and  this  is  a  lesson  to  us, 
who  go  on  our  Lord's  errands.  Let  us,  before  we  en- 
gage in  actual  service,  see  the  Master's  face,  talk  with 
him,  and  tell  to  him  any  difficulties  which  occur  to  our 
minds.  Before  we  get  to  work,  let  us  know  what  we 
are  at,  and  on  what  footing  we  stand.  Let  us  hear  from 
our  Lord's  own  moutti  what  he  expects  us  to  do,  and 
how  far  he  will  help  us  in  the  doing  of  it.  I  charge  you, 
my  fellow-servants,  never  to  go  forth  to  plead  with  men 
for  God  until  you  have  first  pleaded  with  God  for  men. 
Do  not  attempt  to  deliver  a  message  which  you  have 
not  first  of  all  yourself  received  by  his  Holy  Spirit. 
Come  out  of  the  chamber  of  fellowship  with  God  into  the 
pulpit  of  ministry  among  men,  and  there  will  be  a  fresh- 
ness and  a  power  about  you  which  none  shall  be  able  to 
resist.  Abraham's  servant  spoke  and  acted  as  one  who 
felt  bound  to  do  exactly  what  his  master  bade  him,  and 
to  say  what  his  master  told  him ;  hence  his  one  anxiety 
was  to  kiiow  the  essence  and  measure  of  his  commission. 
During  his  converse  with  his  master  he  mentioned  one 
little  point  about  which  there  might  be  a  hitch  ;  and  his 
master  soon  removed  the  difficulty  from  his  mind.  It 
is  about  that  hitch,  which  has  occurred  lately  on  a  very 
large  scale,  and  has  upset  a  good  many  of  my  Master's 
servants,  that  I  am  going  to  speak  this  morning  :  may 
God  grant  that  it  may  be  to  the  benefit  of  his  church  at 
large  ! 

I.  Beginning   our  sermon,  we  will   ask  you,  first,  to 

THINK  OF  THE  SERVANT'S   JOYFUL    BUT    WEIGHTY  ERRAND. 

It  was  a  joyful  errand  :  the  bells  of  marriage  were  ring- 


NO   COMPROMISE.  347 

ing  around  him.  The  marriage  of  the  heir  should  be  a 
joyful  event.  It  was  an  lionorable  thing  for  the  servant 
to  be  entrusted  with  the  finding  of  a  wife  for  his  master's 
son.  Yet  it  was  every  way  a  most  responsible  business, 
by  no  means  easy  of  accouiplishment.  Bhmders  might 
very  readily  occur  before  he  was  aware  of  it ;  and  he 
needed  to  have  all  his  wits  about  him,  and  something 
more  than  his  wits,  too,  for  so  delicate  a  matter.  He 
had  to  journey  far,  over  lands  without  track  or  road  ;  he 
had  to  seek  out  a  family  which  he  did  not  know,  and  to' 
find  out  of  that  family  a  woman  whom  he  did  not  know, 
who  nevertheless  should  be  the  right  person  to  be  the 
wife  of  his  master's  son  :  all  this  was  a  great  service. 

The  work  this  man  undertook  was  a  business  tipon 
tvJiich  his  masfcr^s  heart  ivas  set.  Isaac  was  now  forty 
years  old,  and  had  shown  no  sign  of  marrying.  He  was 
of  a  quiet,  gentle  spirit,  and  needed  a  more  active  spirit 
to  urge  him  on.  The  death  of  Sarah  had  deprived  him 
of  the  solace  of  his  life,  which  he  had  found  in  his 
mother,  and  had,  no  doubt,  made  him  desire  tender 
companionship.  Abraham  himself  was  old,  and  well 
stricken  in  years  ;  and  he  very  naturally  wished  to  see 
the  promise  beginning  to  be  fulfilled,  that  in  Isaac  should 
his  seed  be  called.  Therefore  with  great  anxiety,  which 
is  indicated  by  his  making  his  servant  swear  an  oath  of 
a  most  solemn  kind,  he  gave  him  the  commission  to  go 
to  the  old  family  abode  in  Mesopotamia,  and  seek  for 
Isaac  a  bride  from  thence.  Although  that  family  was 
not  all  that  could  be  desired,  yet  it  was  the  best  he  knew 
of;  and  as  some  heavenly  light  lingered  there,  he  hoped 
to  find  in  that  place  the  best  wife  for  his  son.  The  bus- 
iness was,  however,  a  serious  one  which  he  committed  to 
his   servant.     My   brethren,    this   is   nothing    compared 


348  ^O   COMPROMISE. 

with  the  weight  which  hangs  on  the  true  minister  of  Christ. 
All  the  Great  Father's  heart  is  set  on  giving  to  Christ  a 
a  church  which  shall  be  his  beloved  for  ever.  Jesus 
must  not  be  alone  :  his  church  must  be  his  dear  com- 
panion. The  Father  would  find  a  bride  for  the  great 
Bridegroom,  a  recompense  for  the  Eedeemer,  a  solace 
for  the  Saviour  :  therefore  he  lays  it  upon  all  whom  he 
calls  to  tell  out  the  gospel,  that  we  should  seek  souls 
for  Jesus,  and  never  rest  till  hearts  are  wedded  to  the 
Son  of  God.  Oh,  for  grace  to  carry  out  this  commis- 
sion ! 

This  message  tvas  the  more  iveighfy  heccnise  of  the  per- 
son/or ivhom  the  spouse  tvas  sought.  Isaac  was  an  extra- 
ordinary personage ;  indeed,  to  the  servant  he  was 
unique.  He  was  a  man  born  according  to  promise,  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  by  the  power  of  God ;  and  you  know 
how  in  Christ,  and  in  all  that  are  one  with  Christ,  the 
life  comes  by  the  promise  and  the  power  of  God,  and 
springeth  not  of  man.  Isaac  was  himself  the  fulfillment 
of  promise,  and  the  heir  of  the  promise.  Infinitely 
glorious  is  our  Lord  Jesus  as  the  Son  of  man  !  Who 
shall  declare  his  generation  ?  Where  shall  be  found  a 
helpmeet  for  him  ?  a  soul  fit  to  be  espoused  unto  him  ? 
Isaac  had  been  sacrificed ;  he  had  been  laid  upon  the 
altar,  and  although  he  did  not  actually  die,  his  father's 
hand  had  unsheathed  the  knife  wherewith  to  slay  him. 
Abraham  in  spirit  had  ofi"ered  up  his  son  ;  and  you  know 
who  he  is  of  whom  we  preach,  and  for  whom  we  preach, 
even  Jesus,  who  has  laid  down  his  life  a  sacrifice  for  sin- 
ners. He  has  been  presented  as  a  whole  bm-nt-offering 
unto  God.  Oh !  by  the  wounds,  and  by  the  bloody 
sweat,  I  ask  you  where  shall  we  find  a  heart  fit  to  be 
wedded  to  him  %     How  shall  we  find  men  and  women 


NO   COMPROMISE.  349 

who  can  wcrtliily  recompense  love  so  amazing,  so  divine^ 
as  that  of  him  who  died  the  death  of  the  cross  %  Isaac 
had  also  been,  in  a  figure,  raised  from  the  dead.  To  his 
father  he  was  "  as  good  as  dead,"  as  said  the  apostle  *, 
and  he  was  given  back  to  him  from  the  dead.  But  our 
blessed  Lord  has  actually  risen  from  an  actual  death,  and 
stands  before  us  this  day  as  the  Conqueror  of  death,  and 
the  Spoiler  of  the  grave.  Who  shall  be  joined  to  this 
Conqueror  '\  Who  is  fit  to  dwell  in  glory  with  this 
glorious  One  ?  One  would  have  thought  that  every 
heart  would  aspire  to  such  happiness,  and  leap  in  pros- 
pect of  such  peerless  honor,  and  that  none  would  shrink 
back  except  through  a  sense  of  great  unworthiness. 
Alas  !  it  is  noi  so,  though  so  it  ought  to  be. 

What  a  weighty  errand  have  we  to  fulfil  to  find  those 
who  shall  be  linked  for  ever  in  holy  union  with  the  Heir 
of  the  promise,  even  the  sacrificed  and  risen  One  ! 
Isaac  was  everything  to  Abraham.  Abraham  would  have 
said  to  Isaac,  ^^  All  that  I  have  is  thine."  So  is  it  true 
of  our  blessed  Lord,  whom  he  hath  made  heir  of  all 
things ;  by  whom  also  he  made  the  worlds,  that  "  it 
pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fuhiess  dwell." 
What  a  dignity  will  be  put  upon  any  of  you  who  are 
married  to  Christ !  To  what  a  height  of  eminence  will 
you  be  uplifted  by  becoming  one  with  Jesus !  O  preacher, 
what  a  work  hast  thou  to  do  to-day,  to  find  out  those  to 
whom  thou  shalt  give  the  bracelet,  and  upon  whose  face 
thou  shalt  hang  the  jewel !  To  whom  shall  I  say,  '*  Wilt 
thou  give  thy  heart  to  my  Lord  !  Wilt  thou  have  Jesus 
to  be  thy  confidence,  thy  salvation,  thine  all  in  all  %  Art 
thou  willing  to  become  his  that  he  may  be  thine  %  " 

Said  I  not  truly  that  it  was  a  joyful  but  a  weighty 
errand,   when  you  think  ivliat  she  must  he  to  tvhom  his 


350  A^<^   COMPROMISE. 

master's  son  should  he  esj^oused  f  She  must,  at  least,  be 
willing  and  beautiful.  In  the  day  of  God's  power  hearts 
are  made  willing.  There  can  be  no  marriage  to  Jesus 
without  a  heart  of  love.  Where  shall  we  find  this  will- 
ing heart  ?  Only  where  the  grace  of  God  has  wrought 
it.  Ah,  then,  I  see  how  I  laay  find  beauty,  too,  among 
the  sons  of  men  !  Marred  as  our  nature  is  by  sin,  only 
the  Holy  Spirit  can  impart  that  beauty  of  holiness  which 
will  enable  the  Lord  Jesus  to  see  comeliness  in  his  chosen, 
Alas  !  in  our  hearts  there  is  an  aversion  to  Christ,  and 
an  unwillingness  to  accept  of  him,  and  at  the  same  time 
a  terrible  unfitness  and  unworthiness  !  The  Spirit  of 
God  implants  a  love  which  is  of  lieavenly  origin,  and  re- 
news the  heart  by  a  regeneration  from  above  ;  and  then 
we  seek  to  be  one  with  Jesus,  but  not  till  then.  See, 
then,  how  our  errand  calls  for  the  help  of  God  himself. 

Think  what  she  will  become  who  is  to  be  married  to 
Isaac  ?  She  is  to  be  his  delight ;  his  loving  friend  and 
companion.  She  is  to  be  partner  of  all  his  wealth  ;  and 
specially  is  she  to  be  a  partaker  in  the  great  covenant 
promise,  which  was  peculiarly  entailed  upon  Abraham 
and  his  family.  When  a  sinner  comes  to  Christ,  what 
does  Christ  make  of  him  1  His  delight  is  in  him  :  he 
communes  with  him  ;  he  hears  his  prayer,  he  accepts  his 
praise  ;  he  works  in  him  and  with  him,  and  glorifies  him- 
self in  him.  He  makes  the  believing  man  joint-heir  with 
himself  of  all  that  he  has,  and  introduces  him  into  the 
covenant  treasure-house,  wherein  the  riches  and  glory 
of  God  are  stored  up  for  his  chosen.  Ah,  dear  friends  ! 
it  is  a  very  small  business  in  the  esteem  of  some  to  preach 
the  gospel ;  and  yet,  if  God  is  with  us,  ours  is  more  than 
angels'  service.  In  a  humble  way  you  are  telling  of 
Jesus  to  your  boys  and  girls  in  your  classes  5  and  some 


NO  COMPROMISE.  351 

will  despise  you  as  "  only  Simday-scliool  teachers  ;  "  but 
your  work  lias  a  spiritual  weight  about  it  unkuown  to 
couclaves  of  senators^  and  absent  from  the  counsels  of 
emperors.  Upon  what  you  say,  death,  and  hell,  and 
worlds  unknown  are  hanging.  You  are  working  out  the 
destinies  of  immortal  spirits,  turning  souls  from  ruin  to 
glory,  from  sin  to  holiness. 

"'Tis  not  a  ^vork  of  small  import 
Your  loving  care  demands  ; 
But  what  might  fill  an  augel's  heart, 
And  filled  the  Saviour's  hands." 

In  carrying  out  his  commission,  tlds  servant  must  spare 
no  exertion.  It  would  be  required  of  him  to  journey  to  a 
great  distance,  having  a  general  indication  of  direction^ 
but  not  knowing  the  way.  He  must  have  divine  guid- 
ance and  protection.  When  he  reached  the  place,  he 
must  exercise  great  common-sense,  and  at  the  same  time 
a  trustful  dependence  upon  the  goodness  and  wisdom  of 
God.  It  would  be  a  wonder  of  wonders  if  he  ever  met 
the  chosen  woman,  and  only  the  Lord  could  bring  it  to 
pass.  He  had  all  the  care  and  the  faith  required.  We 
have  read  the  story  of  how  he  journeyed,  and  prayed, 
and  pleaded.  We  should  have  cried,  "  Who  is  sufficient 
for  these  things  ? "  but  we  see  that  the  Lord  Jehovah 
made  him  sufficient,  and  his  mission  was  happily  carried 
out.  How  can  we  put  ourselves  into  the  right  position 
to  get  at  sinners,  and  win  them  for  Jesus  !  How  can  we 
learn  to  speak  the  right  words  ?  How  shall  we  suit  our 
teaching  to  the  condition  of  their  hearts  ?  How  shall  we 
adapt  ourselves  to  their  feelings,  their  prejudices,  their 
sorrows,  and  their  temptations  ?  Brethren,  we  who 
preach  the  gospel  continually   may   well  cry,   ''  If  thy 


352  ^O  COMPROMISE. 

presence  go  not  witii  me,  cany  us  not  up  lience."  To 
seek  for  pearls  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  is  child's  play 
compared  with  seeking  for  souls  in  this  wicked  London. 
If  God  be  not  with  us,  we  may  look  our  eyes  out,  and 
wear  our  tongues  away  in  vain.  Only  as  the  Almighty 
God  shall  lead,  and  guide,  and  influence,  and  inspire, 
can  we  perform  our  solemn  trust ;  only  by  divine  help 
shall  we  joyfully  come  back,  bringing  witli  us  the  chosen 
of  the  Lord.  We  are  the  Bridegroom's  friends,  and  Ave 
rejoice  greatly  in  his  joy,  but  we  sigh  and  cry  till  we 
have  found  the  chosen  hearts  in  whom  he  will  delight, 
whom  he  shall  raise  to  sit  with  him  upon  his  throne. 

IL  Secondly,  1  would  have  you  consider  the  eea- 
SONABLE  FEAR  WHICH  IS  MENTIOXED.  Abraham's  ser- 
vant said,  ^^  Peradventui-e  the  woman  will  not  be  willing 
to  follow  me  unto  this  land."  This  is  a  very  serious, 
grave,  and  common  difficulty.  If  the  woman  be  not  will- 
ing, nothing  can  bo  done  5  force  and  fraud  are  out  of  the 
question ;  there  must  be  a  true  will,  or  there  can  be  no 
marriage  in  this  instance.  Here  was  the  difficulty  :  here 
was  a  will  to  be  dealt  with.  Ah,  my  brethren  !  this  is 
our  difficidty  still.  Let  me  describe  this  difficulty  in  de- 
tail as  it  appeared  to  the  servant,  and  appears  to  us. 

She  may  not  helieve  my  report  or  he  impressed  by  it. 
When  I  come  to  her,  and  tell  her  that  I  am  sent  by 
Abraham,  she  may  look  me  in  the  face  and  say,  "  There 
be  many  deceivers  nowadays."  If  I  tell  her  that  my 
master's  son  is  surpassingly  beautiful  and  rich,  and  that 
he  would  fain  take  her  to  himself,  she  may  answer, 
^^  Strange  tales  and  romances  are  common  in  these  days; 
but  the  prudent  do  not  quit  their  homes."  Brethren,  in 
our  case  this  is  a  sad  fact.  The  great  evangelical  pro- 
phet  cried   of  old,  ^^  Who  hath  believed  oiu^  report  ?  '^ 


NO   COMPROMISE.  353 

We  also  cry  in  the  same  words.  Men  care  not  for  the 
report  of  God's  great  love  to  the  rebellious  sons  of  men. 
They  do  not  believe  that  the  infinitely  glorious  Lord  is 
seeking  the  love  of  poor^  insignificant  man,  and  to  win  it 
has  laid  down  his  life.  Calvary,  with  its  wealth  of 
mercy,  grief,  love,  and  merit,  is  disregarded.  Indeed, 
we  tell  a  wonderful  story,  and  it  may  well  seem  too  good 
to  be  true  ;  but  it  is  sad  indeed  that  the  multitude  of 
men  go  their  ways  after  trifles,  and  count  these  grand 
realities  to  be  but  dreams.  I  am  bowed  down  with  dis- 
may that  my  Lord's  great  love,  which  led  him  even  to 
die  for  men,  should  hardly  be  thought  worthy  of  your 
hearing,  much  less  of  your  believing.  Here  is  a  heav- 
enly marriage,  and  right  royal  nuptials  placed  within 
your  reach  j  but  with  a  sneer  you  turn  aside,  and  prefer 
the  witcheries  of  sin. 

There  was  another  difficulty  :  she  was  expected  to  feel 
a  love  to  one  she  had  never  seen.  She  had  only  newly 
heard  that  there  was  such  a  person  as  Isaac,  but  yet  she 
must  love  him  enough  to  leave  her  kindred,  and  go  to  a 
distant  land.  This  could  only  be  because  she  recognized 
the  will  of  Jehovah  in  the  matter.  Ah,  my  dear  hearers, 
all  that  v/e  tell  you  is  concerning  things  not  seen  as  yet ; 
and  here  is  our  difficulty.  You  have  eyes,  and  you 
want  to  see  everything ;  you  have  hands,  and  you  want 
to  handle  everything ;  but  there  is  one  whom  you  can- 
not see  as  yet,  who  has  won  our  love  because  of  what 
believe  concerning  him.  We  can  truly  say  of  him, 
'  Whom  having  not  seen,  we  love  :  in  whom,  though 
now  we  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  we  rejoice  with  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory."  I  know  that  you  answer 
our  request  thus  :  ^'  You  demand  too  much  of  us  when 
you  ask  us  to  love  a  ChHst  we  have  never  seen."     I  can 


we 


354  NO   COMPROMISE. 

only  answer,  "It  is  even  so  :  we  do  ask  more  of  you 
than  we  expect  to  receive."  Unless  God  the  Holy 
Ghost  shall  work  a  miracle  of  grace  upon  your  hearts, 
you  will  not  be  persuaded  by  us  to  quit  yom*  old  associa- 
tions, and  join  yourselves  to  our  beloved  Lord.  And  yet 
if  you  did  come  to  hira  and  love  him,  he  would  more  than 
content  you  j  for  you  woidd  find  in  him  rest  unto  your 
souls,  and  a  peace  which  passeth  all  understanding. 

Abraham's  servant  may  have  thought :  She  may  refuse 
to  make  so  great  a  change  as  to  quit  Mesopotamia  for 
Canaan.  She  had  been  born  and  bred  away  there  in  a 
settled  cotmtry,  and  all  her  associations  were  with  her 
father's  house  ;  and  to  marry  Isaac  she  must  tear  her- 
self away.  So,  too,  you  cannot  have  Jesus,  and  have  the 
world  too  :  you  must  break  with  sin  to  be  joined  to  Jesus. 
You  must  come  away  from  the  licentious  world,  the  fash- 
ionable world,  the  scientific  world,  and  from  the  (so-called) 
religious  world.  If  you  become  a  Christian,  you  must  quit 
old  habits,  old  motives,  old  ambitions,  old  pleasui'es,  old 
boasts,  old  modes  of  thought.  All  things  must  become 
new.  You  must  leave  the  things  you  have  loved,  and 
seek  many  of  those  things  which  you  have  hitherto  de- 
spised. There  must  come  to  you  as  great  a  change  as 
if  you  had  died,  and  were  made  over  again.  You 
answer,  "  Must  I  endure  all  this  for  One  whom  I  have 
never  seen,  and  for  an  inheritance  on  which  I  have  nevei' 
set  my  foot  1 "  It  is  even  so.  Although  I  am  grieved 
.that  you  turn  away,  I  am  not  in  the  lesa^t  surprised,  for 
it  is  not  given  to  many  to  see  him  who  is  invisible,  or  to 
choose  the  strait  and  narrow  way  which  leadeth  unto 
life.  The  man  or  woman  who  will  foUow  God's  messen- 
ger to  be  married  to  so  strange  a  Bridegroom  is  a  rare 
bird. 


NO   COMPROMISE.  355 

Moreover,  it  miglit  be  a  great  difficulty  to  Rebekah,*if 
elie  had  had  any  difficulties  at  all,  to  think  that  slic  must 
henceforth  lead  a  pilgrim  life.  She  would  quit  house  and 
form  for  tent  and  gipsy  life.  Abraham  and  Isaac  foimd 
no  city  to  dwell  in,  bat  wandered  from  place  to  place, 
dwelling  alone,  sojourners  with  God.  Their  outward 
mode  of  life  was  typical  of  the  way  of  faith,  by  which 
men  live  in  the  world,  and  are  not  of  it.  To  all  intents 
and  purposes  Abraham  and  Isaac  were  out  of  the  world, 
and  lived  on  its  surface  without  lasting  connection  with 
it.  They  were  the  Lord's  men,  and  the  Lord  was  their 
possession.  He  set  himself  apart  for  them,  and  they 
were  set  apart  for  him.  Eebekah  might  well  have  said, 
^^  That  will  never  do  for  me.  I  cannot  outlaw  myself. 
I  cannot  quit  the  comforts  of  a  settled  abode  to  ramble 
over  the  fields  wherever  the  flocks  may  require  me  to 
roam."  It  does  not  strike  the  most  of  mankind  that  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  to  be  in  the  world,  and  yet  not  to 
be  of  it.  They  are  no  strangers  in  the  world,  they  long 
to  be  admitted  more  fully  into  its  ''  society."  They  are 
not  aliens  here  with  their  treasures  in  heaven,  they  long 
to  have  a  good  round  sum  on  earth,  and  find  their  heaven 
in  enjoying  it  themselves,  and  enriching  their  families. 
Earthworms  as  they  are,  the  earth  contents  them.  If 
any  man  becomes  unworldly,  and  makes  spiritual  things 
his  one  object,  they  despise  him  as  a  dreamy  enthusiast. 
Many  men  think  that  the  things  of  religion  are  merely 
meant  to  be  read  of,  and  to  be  preached  about ;  but  that 
to  live  for  them  would  be  to  spend  a  dreamy,  unpracti- 
cal existence.  Yet  the  spiritual  is,  after  all,  the  only 
real :  the  material  is  in  deepest  truth  the  visionary  and 
unsubstantial.  Still,  when  people  turn  away  because  of 
the  hardness  of  holy  warfare,  and  the  spirituality  of  the 


356  ^0   COMPROMISE. 

believing  life,  we  are  not  astonished,  for  we  hardly  hoped 
it  conld  be  otherwise.  Unless  the  Lord  renews  the 
heart,  men  will  always  prefer  the  bird-in-the-hand  of  this 
life  to  the  bird-in-the-bush  of  the  life  to  come. 

Moreover,  it  might  be  that  the  woman  m'lglit  not  care 
for  the  covenant  of  xwomise.  If  she  had  no  regard  for 
Jehovah  and  his  revealed  will,  she  was  not  likely  to  go 
with  the  man,  and  enter  upon  marriage  with  Isaac.  He 
was  the  heir  of  the  promises,  the  inheritor  of  the  cove- 
nant privileges  which  the  Lord  by  oath  had  promised. 
His  chosen  would  become  the  mother  of  that  chosen  seed 
in  whom  God  had  ordained  to  bless  the  world  throughout 
all  the  ages,  even  the  Messiah,  the  seed  of  the  woman 
who  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 

Peradventure  the  woman  might  not  see  the  value  of 
the  covenant,  nor  appreciate  the  glory  of  the  promise. 
The  things  we  have  to  preach  of,  such  as  life  everlasting, 
union  with  Christ,  resurrection  from  the  dead,  reigning 
with  him  for  ever  and  ever,  seem  to  the  dull  hearts  of 
men  to  be  as  idle  tales.  Tell  them  of  a  high  interest  for 
their  money,  of  large  estates  to  be  had  for  a  venture,  or 
of  honors  to  be  readily  gained,  and  inventions  to  be  found 
out,  they  open  all  their  eyes  and  their  ears,  for  here  is 
something  worth  knowing  ;  but  the  things  of  God,  eter- 
nal, immortal,  boundless — these  are  of  no  importance  to 
them.  They  could  not  be  induced  to  go  from  Ur  to 
Canaan  for  such  trifles  as  eternal  life,  and  heaven,  and 
God. 

So  you  see  our  difficulty.  IVIany  disbelieve  altogether, 
and  others  cavil  and  object.  A  greater  number  will  not 
even  listen  to  our  story  ;  and  of  those  who  do  listen,  most 
are  careless,  and  others  dally  with  it,  and  postpone  the 
serious  consideration.     Alas  !  avc  speak  to  umvilling  ears. 


NO   COMPROMISE.  357 

III.  In  the  third  pLace,  I  would  ENLARGE  UPON  IIIS 
VERY  NATURAL  SUGGESTION.  This  prudent  steward  said, 
^^  Feradvcnture  the  woman  will  not  be  willing  to  follow 
me  mito  this  land:  Must  I  needs  hring  thtj  son  again  unto 
the  hind  from  tvhcnce  thou  earnest  f  "  If  she  will  not  come 
to  Isaac,  shall  Isaac  go  down  to  her  ?  This  is  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  present  hour :  if  the  world  will  not  come 
to  Jesus,  shall  Jesus  tone  down  his  teachings  to  the 
world  ?  In  other  words,  if  the  world  Avill  not  rise  to  the 
church,  shall  not  the  church  go  do^vn  to  the  world  ?  In- 
stead of  bidding  men  to  be  converted,  and  come  out  from 
among  sinners,  and  be  separate  from  them,  let  us  join 
with  the  ungodly  world,  enter  into  union  with  it,  and  so 
pervade  it  with  our  influence  by  allowing  it  to  influence 
us.     Let  us  have  a  Christian  world. 

To  this  end  let  us  revise  our  doctrines.  Some  are  old- 
fashioned,  grim,  severe,  unpopular;  let  us  drop  them 
out.  Use  the  old  phrases,  so  as  to  please  the  obstinately 
orthodox,  but  give  them  new  meanings,  so  as  to  win  phil^ 
osophical  infidels,  who  are  prowling  around.  Pare  off 
the  edges  of  unpleasant  truths,  and  moderate  the  dog^ 
matic  tone  of  infallible  revelation :  say  that  Abraham  and 
]\Ioses  made  mistakes,  and  that  the  books  which  have 
been  so  long  had  in  reverence  are  full  of  errors.  Under^ 
mine  the  old  faith,  and  bring  in  the  new  doubt ;  for  the 
times  are  altered,  and  the  spirit  of  the  age  suggests  the 
abandonment  of  everything  that  is  too  severely  righteous, 
and  too  surely  of  G  od. 

The  deceitful  adulteration  of  doctrine  is  attended  by  a 
falsification  of  experience.  Men  are  now  told  that  they 
were  born  good,  or  were  made  so  by  their  infant  bap- 
tism, and  so  that  great  sentence,  "  Ye  must  be  born 
again,''  is  deprived  of  its  force.     Repentance  is  ignored, 


358  ^0  COMPROMISE. 

faith  is  a  drug  in  tlie  market  as  compared  with  ^^  honest 
doubt/^  and  mourning  for  sin  and  communion  with  God 
are  dispensed  with,  to  make  way  for  entertainments,  and 
socialism,  and  politics  of  varying  shades.  A  new  crea- 
ture in  Christ  Jesus  is  looked  upon  as  a  sour  invention 
of  bigoted  Puritans.  It  is  true,  with  the  same  breath 
tliey  extol  Oliver  CromAvell ;  but  then  1888  is  not  1648. 
What  was  good  and  great  three  hundred  years  ago  is 
mere  cant  to-day.  That  is  what  ^^  modern  thought  "  is 
telling  us  ;  and  under  its  guidance  all  religion  is  being 
toned  down.  Spiritual  religion  is  despised,  and  a  fash- 
ionable morality  is  set  up  in  its  place.  Do  yourself  up 
tidily  on  Sunday  ;  behave  yourself ;  and  above  all,  be- 
lieve everything  except  what  you  read  in  the  Bible,  and 
you  will  be  all  right.  Be  fashionable,  and  think  with 
those  who  profess  to  be  scientilic — this  is  the  first  and 
great  commandment  of  the  modern  school ;  and  the  sec- 
ond is  like  unto  it — do  not  be  singular,  but  be  as  worldly 
as  your  neighbors.  Thus  is  Isaac  going  doA\m  into  Padan- 
aram  :  thus  is  the  church  going  down  to  the  world. 

Men  seem  to  say^ — It  is  of  no  use  going  on  in  the  old 
way,  fetching  out  one  here  and  another  there  from  the 
great  mass.  We  want  a  quicker  way.  To  wait  till  peo- 
ple are  born  again,  and  become  followers  of  Christ,  is  a 
long  process  ;  let  us  abolish  the  separation  between  the 
regenerate  and  unregenerate.  Come  into  the  church,  ail 
of  you,  converted  or  miconverted.  You  have  good 
wishes  and  good  resolutions  ;  that  will  do  :  don't  trouble 
about  more.  It  is  true  you  do  not  believe  the  gospel, 
but  neither  do  we.  You  believe  something  or  other. 
Come  along  ;  if  you  do  not  believe  anything,  no  matter  ; 
your  "  honest  doubt "  is  better  by  far  than  faith, 
^^But,"  say  you,   '^nobody  talks  so."     Possibly  they  do 


lYO   COMrROMIS!:.  35g 

not  use  the  same  words,  but  this  is  the  real  meaning-  of 
the  present-day  religion  j  this  the  drift  of  the  times.  I 
can  justify  the  broadest  statement  I  have  made  by  the 
action  or  by  the  speech  of  certain  ministers,  who  are 
treacherously  betraying  our  holy  religion  under  pretence 
of  adapting  it  to  this  progressive  age.  The  new  plan  is  to 
assimilate  the  church  to  the  world,  and  so  include  a  larger 
area  within  its  bounds.  By  semi-dramatic  performances 
they  make  houses  of  prayer  to  approximate  to  the  thea- 
tre ;  they  turn  their  services'  into  musical  displays,  and 
their  sermons  into  political  harangues  or  philosophical 
essays— in  fact,  they  exchange  the  temple  for  the  theatre, 
and  turn  the  ministers  of  God  into  actors,  whose  business 
it  is  to  amuse  men.  Is  it  not  so,  that  the  Lord^s-day  is 
becoming  more  and  more  a  day  of  recreation  or  of  idle- 
ness, and  the  Lord's  house  either  a  joss-house  fidl  of 
idols,  or  a  political  club,  where  there  is  more  enthusiasm 
for  a  party  than  zeal  for  God  ?  Ah  me  !  the  hedges  are 
broken  down,  the  walls  are  levelled,  and  to  many  there  is, 
henceforth,  no  church  except  as  a  portion  of  the  world, 
no  God  except  as  an  unknowable  force  by  which  the  laws 
of  nature  work. 

This,  then,  is  the  proposal.  In  order  to  win  the  world, 
the  Lord  Jesus  must  conform  himself,  his  people,  and  his 
Word  to  the  world.  I  will  not  dwell  any  longer  on  so 
loathsome  a  proposal. 

IV.  In  the  fourth  place,  NOTICE  HIS  master's  out- 
spoken,    BELIEvIXG    REPUDIATION     OF    THE     PROPOSAL. 

He  says,  shortly  and  sharply,  "  Beware  thou  that  thou 
bring  not  my  son  thither  again:'  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
heads  that  grand  emigration  party  which  has  come  right 
out  from  the  world.  Addressing  his  disciples,  he  says, 
'<•  Ye  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world." 


360  ^(^  COMPROMISE. 

We  are  not  of  tlie  world  bj  birth,  not  of  the  world  in 
life,  not  of  the  world  in  object,  not  of  the  world  in  spirit, 
not  of  the  world  in  any  respect  whatever.  Jesus,  and  those 
who  are  in  him,  constitute  a  new  race.  The  proposal  to 
go  back  to  the  world  is  abhorrent  to  our  best  instincts  ; 
yea,  deadly  to  our  noblest  life.  A  voice  from  heaven 
cries,  ^^  Bring  not  my  son  thither  again.''  Let  not  the 
people  whom  the  Lord  brought  up  out  of  Egypt  return 
to  the  house  of  bondage  ;  but  let  their  children  come  out, 
and  be  separate,  and  the  Lord  Jehovah  will  be  a  Father 
unto  them. 

Notice  how  Abraham  states  the  question.  Li  eflfect, 
he  argues  it  thus  :  this  ivould  he  to  forego  the  divine 
order.  ^^For,"  says  Abraham,  ^^the  Lord  God  of  heaven 
took  me  from  my  father's  house,  and  from  the  land  of 
my  kindred."  What,  then,  if  he  brought  Abraham  out, 
is  Isaac  to  return  ?  This  cannot  be.  Hitherto  the  way 
of  God  with  his  chm'ch  has  been  to  sever  a  people  from 
the  world  to  be  his  elect — a  people  formed  for  himself, 
who  shall  show  forth  his  praise.  Beloved,  God's  plan  is 
not  altered.  He  will  still  go  on  calling  those  whom  he 
did  predestinate.  Do  not  let  us  fly  in  the  teeth  of  that 
fact,  and  suppose  that  we  can  save  men  on  a  more  whole- 
sale scale  by  ignoring  the  distinction  between  the  dead 
in  sin  and  the  living  in  Zion.  If  God  had  meant  to 
bless  the  family  at  Padan-aram  by  letting  his  chosen 
ones  dwell  among  them,  why  did  he  call  Abraham  out  at 
all  ?  If  Isaac  may  do  good  by  dwelling  there,  why  did 
Araham  leave  %  If  there  is  no  need  of  a  separate  church 
now,  what  have  we  been  at  throughout  all  these  ages  ? 
Has  the  martyr's  blood  been  shed  out  of  mere  folly  ? 
Have  confessors  and  reformers  been  mad  when  contend- 
ing for  doctrines  which,  it  would  seem,  are  of  no  great 


NO   COMPROMISE.  3G1 

account  ?  Brethren,  there  are  two  seeds — the  seed  of 
the  woman  and  the  seed  of  tlie  serpent — and  the  differ- 
ence will  be  maintained  even  to  the  end ;  neither  must 
Av  e  ignore  the  distniction  to  please  men. 

For  Isaac  to  go  down  to  Nahor's  house  for  a  wife 
ivould  he  placing  God  second  to  a  ivife,  Abraham  begins 
at  once  with  a  reference  to  Jehovah,  ^^the  God  of 
heaven/'  for  Jehovah  was  everything  to  him,  and  to 
Isaac  also.  Isaac  would  never  renounce  his  walk  with  tho 
living  God  that  he  might  find  a  wife.  Yet  this  apostasy 
is  common  enough  nowadays.  ]\Ien  and  women  who 
profess  godliness  will  quit  what  they  profess  to  believe 
m  order  to  get  richer  wives  or  husbands  for  themselves 
or  their  children.  This  mercenary  conduct  is  without 
excuse.  ''  Better  society  "  is  the  cry — meaning  more 
wealth  and  fashion.  To  the  true  man  God  is  first — -yea, 
all  in  all ;  but  God  is  placed  at  the  fag-end,  and  every- 
thing else  is  put  before  him  by  the  base  professor.  In 
the  name  of  God  I  call  upon  you  who  are  faithful  to  God 
and  to  his  truth,  to  stand  fast,  whatever  you  lose,  and 
turn  not  aside,  whatever  you  might  gain.  Comit  the 
reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  all  the  treasures 
of  Egypt.  ^Ye  want  Abraham's  spirit  within  us,  and  w^e 
shall  have  that  when  we  have  Abraham's  faith. 

Abraham  felt  that  this  would  be  to  renounce  tlie  covc^ 
nant promise.  See  how  he  puts  it :  "■  The  God  that  took 
me  from  my  father's  house  sware  unto  me,  saying.  Unto 
thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land."  Are  they,  then,  to  leave 
the  land,  and  go  back  to  the  place  from  which  the  Lord 
liad  called  them  ?  Brethren,  we  also  are  heirs  of  the 
[)romise  of  tilings  not  seen  as  yet.  For  the  sake  of  this 
we  walk  l)y  faith,  and  hence  we  become  separate  from 
those  around  us.     We  dwell  among  men  as  Abraham 


3G2  NO   COA'IFKOMISE. 

dwelt  among  tlie  Canaanites ;  but  we  are  of  a  distinct 
race  :  we  are  born  with  a  new  birth,  live  under  different 
laAvs,  and  act  from  different  motives.  If  we  go  back  to 
the  ways  of  worldlings,  and  are  numbered  with  them,  we 
have  renounced  the  covenant  of  our  God,  the  promise  is 
no  longer  oui's,  and  the  eternal  heritage  is  in  other  hands. 
Do  you  not  know  this  %  The  moment  the  church  says, 
"  I'will  be  as  the  world,'^  she  has  doomed  herself  with 
the  world.  When  the  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of 
men  that  they  were  fair,  and  took  them  wives  of  all 
which  they  chose,  then  the  flood  came,  and  swept  them 
all  away.  So  will  it  again  happen  should  the  world  take 
the  churoh  into  its  arms  :  then  shall  come  some  over- 
whelming judgment,  and,  it  may  be,  a  deluge  of  devour- 
ing fire.  The  covenant  promise  and  the  covenant  heri- 
tage are  no  longer  ours  if  we  go  doAvn  to  the  world  and 
quit  our  sojourning  with  the  Lord. 

Besides,  dear  friends,  no  good  can  come  of  trying  to 
conform  to  tJie  ivorlcL  Suppose  the  servant's  policy  could 
have  been  ad^opted,  and  Isaac  had  gone  down  to  Nahor's 
house,  what  would  have  been  the  motive  ?  To  spare 
Eebekah  the  pain  of  separating  from  her  friends,  and 
the  trouble  of  travelling.  If  those  things  could  have 
kept  her  back,  what  would  she  have  been  worth  to  Isaac  ? 
The  test  of  separation  was  wholesome,  and  by  no  means 
ought  to  be  omitted.  She  is  a  poor  wife  who  would 
not  take  a  journey  to  reach  her  husband.  And  all  the 
converts  that  the  church  will  ever  make  by  softening 
down  its  doctrine,  and  by  becoming  worldly,  will  not  be 
worth  one  bad  farthing  a  gross.  When  we  get  them,  the 
next  question  will  be,  "  How  can  we  get  rid  of  them  ?  '' 
They  would  be  no  earthly  use  to  us.  It  swelled  the 
number  of  Israelites  when  thoy  came  out  of  Egypt  that  a 


.\'<:;   COMPROMISE.  303 

great  number  of  tlie  lower  order  of  Egyptians  came  out 
■Nvitli  them.  Yes,  but  that  mixed  multitude  became  the 
plague  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  and  we  read  that  "  the 
mixed  midtitude  fell  a  lusting."  The  Israelites  Avere  bad 
cnoughj  but  it  was  the  mixed  midtitude  that  always  led 
the  way  in  murmuring.  Why  is  there  such  spiritual 
death  to-day  ?  Why  is  false  doctrine  so  rampant  in  the 
churches  ?  It  is  because  we  have  ungodly  people  in  the 
church  and  in  the  ministry.  Eagerness  for  numbers, 
and  especially  eagerness  to  include  respectable  people, 
has  adidterated  many  churches,  and  made  them  lax  in 
doctrine  and  practice,  and  fond  of  silly  amusements. 
These  are  the  people  who  despise  a  prayer-meeting,  but 
rush  to  see  "  living  waxworks  "  in  their  schoolrooms. 
God  save  us  from  converts  who  are  made  by  lowering 
the  standard,  and  tarnishing  the  spiritual  glory  of  the 
church  !  No,  no  ;  if  Isaac  is  to  have  a  wife  v/orthy  of 
him,  she  will  come  away  from  Laban  and  the  rest,  and  she 
wall  not  mind  a  journey  on  camel-back.  True  converts 
are  never  daunted  by  truth  or  holiness — these,  in  fact, 
are  the  things  which  charm  them. 

Besides,  Abraham  felt  that  there  could  he  no  reason  for 
talzing  Isaac  down  tliere,  for  the  Lord  would  assuredly 
find  him  a  wife.  Abraham  said,  "  He  shall  send  his 
angel  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt  take  a  wife  unto  my 
son  from  thence."  Are  you  afraid  that  preaching  the 
gospel  mil  not  wdn  souls  ?  Are  you  despondent  as  to 
success  in  God's  way  ?  Is  this  why  you  pine  for  clever 
oratory  ?  Is  this  why  you  must  have  music,  and  archi- 
tecture, and  flowers,  and  millinery  ?  After  all,  is  it  by 
might  and  by  power,  and  not  by  the  Spirit  of  God  I  It 
is  even  so  in  the  opinion  of  many. 

Brethren  beloved,   there  are    many   things   which   I 


364  NO  COMPROMISE. 

might  allow  to  other  vrorshippers  which  I  have  denied 
myself  in  conducting  the  worship  of  this  congregation. 
I  long  worked  out  before  your  very  eyes  the  experiment 
of  the  unaided  attractiveness  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus. 
Our  service  is  severely  plain.  Ko  man  ever  comes 
hither  to  gratify  his  eye  with  art,  or  his  ear  with  music. 
I  have  set  before  you,  these  many  years,  nothing  but 
Christ  crucified,  and  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel;  yet 
where  will  you  find  such  a  crowd  as  this  gathered 
together  this  morning  ?  Where  will  you  find  such  a 
multitude  as  this  meeting,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  for 
five -and -thirty  years  %  I  have  shown  you  nothing  but  the 
cross,  the  cross  without  the  flowers  of  oratory,  the  cross 
vrithout  the  blue  lights  of  superstition  or  excitement,  the 
cross  without  diamonds  of  ecclesiastical  rank,  the  cross 
without  the  buttresses  of  a  boastfid  science.  It  is  abmi- 
dantly  sufficient  to  attract  men  first  to  itself,  and  after- 
wards to   eternal  life  ! 

In  this  house  we  have  proved  successfidly,  these 
many  years,  this  great  truth,  that  the  gospel  plainly 
preached  will  gain  an  audience,  convert  sinners,  and 
build  up  and  sustain  a  church.  We  beseech  the 
people  of  God  to  mark  that  there  is  no  need  to  try 
doubtful  expedients  and  questionable  methods.  God 
will  save  by  the  gospel  still :  only  let  it  be  the  gospel 
in  its  purity.  This  grand  old  sword  will  cleave  a 
man's  chine,  and  split  a  rock  in  halves.  How  is  it 
that  it  does  so  little  of  its  old  conquering  work  ?  I 
will  tell  you.  Do  you  see  this  scabbard  of  artistic  work, 
so  wonderfully  elaborated  \  Full  many  keep  the  sword 
in  this  scabbard,  and  therefore  its  edge  never  gets  to  its 
work.  Pull  off  that  scabbard.  Fling  that  fine  sheath  to 
Hades,  and  then  see  how;  in  the  Lord's  hands,  that  glo- 


NO   COMPROMISE.  305 

rious  tTvo-liandctI  sword.  Avill  mow  down  fields  of  men  as 
mowers  level  tlie  grass  witli  their  seytlies.  There  is  no 
need  to  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help.  To  mvite  the  devil 
to  help  Christ  is  shameful.  Please  God,  we  shall  see 
prosperity  yet,  when  the  church  of  God  is  resolved  never 
to  seek  it  except  in  God's  own  way. 

y.  And  now,  fifthly,  observe  IIIS  EIGHTEOUS  ABSOLU- 
TION OF  HIS  SERVANT.  ^^  If  the  woman  will  not  be  will- 
ing to  follow  thee,  then  thou  shalt  be  clear  from  this  my 
oath  :  only  bring  not  my  son  thither  again." 

When  we  lie  a-dying,  if  we  have  faithfully  preached 
the  gospel,  our  conscience  will  not  accuse  us  for  having 
kept  closely  to  it  :  we  shall  not  mourn  that  we  did  not 
play  the  fool  or  the  politician  in  order  to  increase  our 
congregation.  Oh,  no !  our  Master  w^ill  give  us  full 
absolution,  even  if  few  be  gathered  in,  so  long  as  we 
have  been  true  to  him.  ^^  If  the  woman  will  not  be  will- 
ing to  follow  thee,  then  thou  shalt  be  clear  from  this  my 
oath  ;  only  bring  not  my  son  thither  again."  Do  not 
try  the  dodges  which  debase  religion.  Keep  to  the  sim- 
ple gospel ;  and  if  the  people  are  not  converted  by  it,  you 
will  be  clear. 

My  dear  hearers,  how  much  I  long  to  see  you 
saved !  But  I  would  not  belie  my  Lord,  even  to 
win  your  souls,  if  they  could  be  so  won.  The  true  ser- 
vant of  God  is  responsible  for  diligence  and  faithfulness, 
but  he  is  not  responsible  for  success  or  non-success. 
Results  are  in  God's  hands.  If  that  dear  child  in  your 
class  is  not  converted,  yet  if  you  have  set  before  him  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  with  loving,  prayerful  earnestness 
you  shall  not  be  without  your  reward.  If  I  preach  from 
my  very  soul  the  grand  truth  that  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  will  save  my  hearers,  and  if  I  persuade  and 


3GG  ^^^   COMPROMISE. 

entreat  tliern  to  believe  in  Jesus  unto  eternal  life  5  if  they 
•will  not  do  so,  tlieir  blood  Avill  lie  upon  their  own  heads. 
AYhen  I  go  back  to  my  Master,  if  I  have  faithfidly  told 
out  his  message  of  free  grace  and  dying  love,  I  shall  be 
clear.  I  have  often  prayed  that  I  might  be  able  to  say 
at  the  last  what  George  Fox  could  so  truly  say  :  ^'  I  am 
clear,  I  am  clear  !  " 

It  is  my  highest  ambition  to  be  clear  of  the  blood 
of  all  men.  I  have  preached  God's  truth,  so  far  as 
I  know  it,  and  I  have  not  been  ashamed  of  its  pecu- 
liarities. That  I  might  not  stultify  my  testimony  I 
have  cut  myself  clear  of  those  who  err  from  the 
faith,  and  even  from  those  w^ho  associate  with 
them. 

What  more  can  I  do  to  be  honest  with  you  %  If,  after 
all,  men  will  not  have  Christ,  and  his  gospel,  and  his 
rule,  it  is  their  own  concern.  If  Rebekah  had  not  come 
to  Isaac,  she  w^ould  have  lost  her  place  in  the  holy  line. 
My  beloved  hearer,  will  you  have  Jesus  Christ  or  not  % 
He  has  come  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  and  he  casts 
out  none.  Will  you  accept  him  f  Will  you  trust  him  I 
^^  He  that  beiieveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved." 
WiU  you  believe  him  ?  Will  you  be  baptized  into  his 
name  ?  If  so,  salvation  is  yours  ;  but  if  not,  he  himself 
hath  said  it,  "  He  that  beiieveth  not  shall  be  damned.'' 
Oh,  do  not  expose  yourselves  to  that  damnation  !  Or, 
if  you  are  set  upon  it ;  then,  when  the  great  white 
throne  shall  be  seen  in  yonder  skies,  and  the  day  of 
wrath  has  come,  do  me  the  justice  to  acknowledge  that 
I  bade  you  flee  to  Jesus,  and  that  I  did  not  amuse 
you  with  novel  theories.  I  have  brought  neither  flute, 
harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  dulcimer,  nor  any  other  kind  of 
music  to  please  youi^  ears,  but  I  have  set  Christ  crucified 


NO   COMPROMISE.  307 

before  you,  and  bidden  you  hclieve  and  live.  If  you  re- 
fuse to  accept  the  substitution  of  Christ,  you  have  refused 
your  own  mercies.  Clear  nie  in  that  day  of  all  com- 
plicity with  the  novel  inventions  of  deluded  men.  As 
for  my  Lord,  I  pray  of  him  grace  to  be  faithful  to  the 
end,  both  to  his  truth,  and  to  your  souls.     Amen. 


XVIL 

A  PAKADOX. 

November  A,  1888. 
"  When  I  am  Tveak,  then  am  I  strong." — 2  Corixthiaxs  xii.  10. 

The  expression  is  paradoxical,  and  seems  somewhat 
singular  5  yet  it  was  the  experience  of  the  apostle  Paul,  a 
man  of  calm  spirit,  bj  no  means  fanciful,  a  wise  man, 
and  far  removed  from  a  fanatic.  It  was  the  experience 
of  one  who  was  led  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  therefore  it 
was  a  gracious  experience  :  the  experience  of  one  who 
was  a  father  in  Israel,  who  could  safely  bid  us  to  be  im- 
itators of  him,  even  as  he  imitated  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
and  therefore  it  was  a  safe  experience.  If  we  are  weak, 
so  was  Paul ;  and  if,  like  him,  we  are  strong  in  our  weak- 
ness, we  shall  be  in  the  best  of  company.  If  the  same 
things  be  seen  in  us  which  were  wrought  in  the  apostle 
of  the  Grentiles,  we  may  join  with  him  in  glorying  in  in- 
iirmities,  because  the  power  of  Christ  doth  rest  upon  us, 
and  we  may  coimt  ourselves  happy  that  with  such  a 
saint  we  can  cry,  ^^  When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I 
strong.^' 

I.  Perhaps  I  can  expound  the  text  best  if  I  first 
TURN  IT  THE  OTHER  WAY  UP,  and  use  it  as  a  warning. 

When  I  am  strong,  then  am  I  iveal\  Perhaps,  while 
thinking  of  the  text  thus  turned  inside  out,  we  shall  be 
getting  light  upon  it  to  be  used  when  we  view  it  with  the 


A   PARADOX.  3G'J 

right  side  outwards,  and  see  that  when  we  are  ivealij  then 
ive  are  strong. 

I  am  quite  sure  that  some  people  think  themselves 
very  strong,  and  are  not  so.  Their  proud  consciousness  of 
fiincied  strength  is  the  indication  of  a  terrible  weakness. 
We  have  among  us  certain  persons  ivho  think  that  they 
can  do  all  that  is  needful  for  their  oivn  salvation  whenever 
they  please  to  do  so.  They  can  perform  all  sorts  of  good 
works,  or  at  least  quite  enough  to  carry  them  to  heaveno 
Their  first  idea  is  that  they  are  to  be  saved  by  their 
own  doings ;  and  they  really  expect  to  be  so  saved. 
They  may  admit  that  they  have  a  few  faidts  and  flaws 
in  their  character ;  but  these  are  so  trifling  as  to  be 
hardly  worth  mentioning,  and  God  Almighty  is  too  mer- 
ciful to  be  very  particular.  Their  lives  have  been  ex- 
cellent, their  tempers  amiable,  their  manners  courteous, 
their  spirit  generous,  and  they  quite  believe  that  by 
keeping  on  at  the  same  pace  they  Avill  win  the  prize  : 
if  they  do  not,  Avho  will!  The  ship  of  their  character  is 
in  fine  condition  ;  they  have  no  leaks  which  the  pumps 
cannot  keep  down  ;  their  sails  are  not  rent,  and  they 
hope  to  sail  into  the  haven  of  peace  with  a  glorious  cargo 
of  merit,  having  an  abmidant  entrance,  and  hearing  a 
loud  ^'  Well  done  !  ''  Ah,  my  friend  !  that  conscious- 
ness of  legal  strength  is  a  mere  delusion,  and  it  will  have 
to  be  taken  out  of  you.  There  is  no  going  to  heaven 
that  way — by  self  and  the  works  of  self.  Your  error  is 
a  common  one,  but  it  is  fatal.  I  have  seen  many  epi- 
taphs of  persons,  placed  by  the  mistaken  kindness  of 
friends  upon  their  tombstones,  which  I  felt  sure  would 
have  been  sufficient  to  shut  them  out  of  heaven  if  they 
had  been  true.  These  departed  worthies  do  not  appear 
to  have  been  sinners  at  all :   their  virtues  were  superla- 


370  ^   PARADOX. 

tive,  tlieir  faults  non-existent.  Such  wonderful  people 
would  appear  from  tlieir  epitaphs  to  have  flown  up  to 
the  gates  of  heaven  upon  the  wings  of  their  own  virtues, 
and  to  have  entered  there  without  a  passport  of  mercj, 
as  burgesses  by  their  own  right  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
I  wonder  how  they  would  behave  themselves  in  heaven, 
if  they  were  really  admitted  there  !  All  the  rest  are 
singing,  "•  We  have  washed  our  robes,  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  "  ;  but  these  needed  no 
washing,  and  so  they  would  be  likely  to  strike  up  a  little 
song  by  themselves,  and  sing,  "  Our  robes  never  needed 
washing  ;  we  kept  them  white  as  snow."  What  a  dis- 
cord that  would  create  in  the  music  of  the  skies  !  What 
a  division  of  character  and  feeling  would  be  found  among 
celestials !  I  cannot  see  how  there  could  be  any  har- 
mony of  sentiment  amongst  sinners  saved  by  grace  and 
righteous  ones  who  owed  nothing  to  mercy,  nothing  to 
the  atoning  sacrifice. 

No,  my  strong  and  virtuous  hearer,  you  are  under  a 
grave  delusion.  There  is  a  great  similarity  between 
yoiu'  talk  and  the  talk  of  that  religious  individual  who 
went  up  to  the  temple  in  our  Saviour's  days,  and,  stand- 
ing before  the  thrice-holy  God,  dared  to  say,  "  Grod,  I 
thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are."  He  was 
not  justified  that  day,  nor  will  you  be.  A  poor  tax- 
gatherer,  despised  by  himself,  and  an  off-cast  from  his 
own  people,  stood  in  the  temple  at  the  same  time,  and  aD 
that  he  dared  to  say  was,  ^'  God  be  mercifid  to  me  a  sin- 
ner." This  miworthy  sinner  went  to  his  house  justified, 
while  the  other  worthy  person  was  not  accepted.  If  you 
think  yourselves  strong  enough  to  procure  heaven  by 
your  own  efforts,  you  are  ignorantly  insulting  the  cross 
of   Christ,   for  you  seem  to  insinuate   that  your  virtues 


A  PARADOX.  371 

can  avail  you  witliout  Jesus.  If  you  really  mean  this, 
there  is  more  venom  of  rebellion  against  God  in  your 
self-righteousness  than  in  the  outward  vice  of  those  who 
make  no  pretence  to  godliness.  For  you  to  put  your 
works  in  the  place  of  Jesus  is  a  blasphemy  against  the 
Saviour's  blood  and  righteousness.  Why  needed  Christ 
to  die  if  men  could  save  themselves  ?  Why  need  he 
bleed  upon  the  cross  if  your  merits  will  suffice  to  gain 
you  a  place  among  the  blessed  ?  There  is  a  fatal  weak- 
ness in  the  claim  of  that  man  who  thinks  himself  strong 
enough  to  force  his  own  passage  to  the  throne  of  God; 
that  weakness  lies  in  the  pride  which  insults  the  Crucified, 
the  disloyalty  which  prefers  itself  to  the  royal  Saviour. 

*'  Perisli  tlie  virtue,  as  it  onglit— abhorred, 
And  the  fool  with  it  who  insnlts  his  Lord." 

Listen  to  me  a  moment,  and  quit  your  fancied  strength : 
you,  my  hearer,  cannot  keep  the  law  of  God,  for  you 
have  already  broken  it.  How  can  you  preserve  a  crys- 
tal vase  entire  when  you  have  already  dashed  it  to 
atoms  ?  You  must  now  be  saved  by  the  merits  and  the 
strength  of  another,  or  not  at  all ;  for  your  own  merit  is 
out  of  the  question,  through  past  failure.  That  strength 
of  yom-s,  upon  which  you  dote  so  much,  is  perfect  weak- 
ness. May  the  Lord  show  you  this,  and  make  you  faint 
at  heart  on  that  account ;  for  then  you  shall  be  strong, 
with  real  and  saving  strength !  Kow  your  imaginary 
strength  is  making  you  really  weak,  and  that  boasted 
merit  of  yours  is  shutting  you  out  from  true  righteous- 
ness. He  that  is  strong  in  the  notion  of  merit  is  weak 
even  to  utter  folly  before  the  God  of  truth. 

"  Yes,''  we  hear  you  reply,  ^^  there  is  a  gospel  way  of 


372  A  PARADOX. 

salvation.     We  know  that  there   is,  for  you  preach  it 
continually.     You  tell   us  that    men   must   repent,   and 
believe  the  gospel  5  that  they  must  be   renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  their  minds,  and  must  both  overcome  sin,   and 
follow  after  holiness.'^     Yes,  I  do  say  all  that ;  but  what 
do  you  say  to  it  I      Is  it  really  so  that  you  find  here  a 
ground  for  your  own  strength?     Do  you  say,    '' I  feel 
that  I  can  repent  tvJienever   I  please,  and  believe  in  Jesus 
ivlten  I  choose  f  "     Ah  !  then  I  must  assure  you  that  when 
you  are  strong  in  that  way,    you  are  weak.     I  never  yet 
knew  anybody  repent  who  gloried  in  his  power  to  repent ; 
1  never  yet  knew  a  man  heart-broken  for  sin  who  boasted 
that  he  could  break   his   own  heart  when  and  where   he 
pleased.      "•  What !  "  cries  one,   .^^  surely  I  can  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ  when  I  please  !  "     I  have  not  denied  that 
statement,  have  I  ?     But   I  tell  you  that  your  notion  of 
power  to  believe   is   your  weakness  ;  and  I  would  rather 
by  half  hear  you   cry,  with  deep  solemnity,   "  Oh,  that 
God  would  give  me  faith  !     Lord,  help  my  unbelief ! " 
Your  sense   of  inability  to  believe   in  Christ  would  be  a 
far  better  token  for  good,  in  my  judgment,  than  your 
present    flippant   talk  about    believing   when  you   like. 
Men  who  are  in   earnest   talk   not   so  :  whatever  their 
strength  may  be,  they  find  it  little  enough  in  the  hour  of 
need.     I  beg  to   assure  you  that  I  have  never  known  a 
man  believe   in   Jesus  who  trusted  that  he    could  so  be- 
lieve ;   for  his  trust  in  his  own  believing  kept  him  from 
trusting  to  Jesus  ;  but  I  have  known  many  a  poor,  strug- 
gling soul  lie  at  the  cross-foot,  and  say,  '^  Lord,  help  me 
to  look  to  Jesus,  and  live  5  '^  and  Grod  has  helped  him  to' 
give  that  look  in  which  there  is  eternal  life.     While  he 
has  been  praying,  his  prayer,   yes,  his  weeping  prayer, 
has  had  in  it  that  very  look  to  Jesus  for  v/hich  he  was 


A  PARADOX.  3:73 

pleading.  His  sense  of  inability  to  believe  lias  made 
him  look  to  Jesus  for  believing^  and  lie  has  found  it  in 
him. 

You  say  that  you  can  turn  your  heart  towards  God 
whenever  you  please.  I  am  not  going  into  any  dispute 
with  you  about  your  assertion,  nor  the  doctrine,  which  is 
su])posed  to  support  you  in  your  profession  of  strength ; 
but  I  will  say  this,  that  your  idea  of  having  personal 
strength,  with  which  to  purify  and  renew  your  own 
heart — your  idea  that  you  can  create  in  yourself  a  right 
spirit — your  idea  that  you  can  raise  yourself  from  your 
death  in  sin — is  to  me  a  prophecy  of  much  evil  for  your- 
self. Where  self  is  conspicuous,  I  see  an  omen  of  mis- 
chief, I  see  no  good  in  this  fine  opinion  of  yourself;  but 
if  I  heard  you  cry,  ^^  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O 
God  " — if  I  heard  you  say,  ^^  Lord,  quicken  me  out  of 
my  death  in  sin  " — if  I  saw  you  lying  down  before  the 
Most  High,  and  praying,  '-'-  Turn  me,  and  I  shall  be 
tm-ned  " — I  should  have  a  far  brighter  hope  of  you.  In 
your  weakness  you  would  become  strong  ;  but  in  your 
present  strength,  I  am  sure  I  see  a  great  weakness,  which 
is  likely  to  be  your  ruin.  0  dear  hearts,  your  best 
friend  does  not  lie  within  your  own  doors.  Your  hope 
for  better  things  shines  yonder  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
where  the  living  Saviour  has  all  power  given  to  him  in 
heaven  and  in  earth.  Sinner,  if  you  grow  no  sweeter 
Rowers  than  the  dunghill  of  your  own  nature  can  nourish, 
you  will  die  amid  poisonous  weeds.  If  you  never  drink 
of  better  water  than  the  filthy  well  of  your  own  heart 
will  yield,  you  wiU  perish  of  thirst,  or  of  a  deadly  draught. 
Another,  and  a  better  helper  than  one  born  in  your  house, 
must  come  this  way.  Help  must  be  laid  upon  one  that  is 
mighty,  exalted  of  the  Lord  out  of  the  people,  and  en- 


374  ^   PARADOX. 

dowed  with  divine  power  and  Godhead,  for  only  such  a 
Saviour,  infinitely  good  and  great,  can  save  a  soul  so  lost 
as  yours.  When  you  get  dovvai,  down,  down,  into  utter 
weakness,  then  you  will  be  strong,  because  then  you  will 
rest  upon  the  Lord's  salvation  ;  but  as  you  are  strong  in 
your  thoughts  of  yourself,  you  are  kept  from  Jesus,  and 
are  weakness  itself. 

So  far  I  have  spoken  by  way  of  warning  to  uncon- 
verted people. 

I  desire  now  to  say  a  word  to  those  who  profess  to  be 
Christians,  and,  let  us  hope,  are  so ;  but  they  are,  in  a 
measure,  erring  in  the  same  way  as  those  to  whom  I 
have  spoken.  They  are  remarkably  strong :  at  least, 
in  their  own  esteem  they  are  very  Samsons,  although 
others  fear  that  the  Philistines  will  capture  them.  By 
this  token  may  they  know  their  own  weakness — even  by 
this,  that  they  think  themselves  strong. 

First,  many  are  tvonderfuTly  strong  as  to  hiotvledge. 
They  know  almost  everything.  K  in  any  department 
they  are  a  little  short,  they  make  up  for  it  by  knowing 
so  much  more  in  another  direction.  If  they  are  too  nar- 
row here,  they  overlap  there.  They  are  knowing  men, 
and  need  no  man  to  tell  them  so.  They  are  instructed 
in  the  faith  from  pole  to  pole :  they  know  both  that  which 
is  afar  off,  and  that  which  is  nigh.  An  argument  is  a 
pleasure  to  them.  They  go  into  company  where  the 
eternal  verities  are  denied,  and  feel  a  delight  in  taking 
sides.  They  will  sit  where  the  vital  simplicities  of  God's 
word  are  set  up  like  marks  for  boys  to  throw,  at ;  and 
they  like  the  amusement,  for  it  exercises  their  knowing 
faculty,  and  gives  them  a  chance  of  showing  their  mental 
power.  They  are  not  children,  but  quite  able  to  think 
for  themselves.     They  are  not  credulous,  but  amazingly 


A   PARADOX.  375 

clear-headed  and  cultured.     I  have   noticed  these   fine 
gentlemen  have  been  the  first   to  deny  the  faith,  and  to 
fall    into    all    manner    of    heresies.     Do   you   wonder  ? 
Those  who  are  so  very  sure  are  always  the  most  uncer- 
tain.    I  could  instance  some  that  had  such  confidence  in 
themselves  that  they  would  have  argued  with  the  very 
fiend  of  hell  on  any  question,  for  they  felt  that  not  even 
Satanic  craft   could  conquer  them ;  but  at   this   present 
moment  the  prince  of  darkness  holds  them  in  his  power. 
They  hold  no  controversy  with  the  devil  now,  for  they 
are  very  largely  agreed  with  him  in  assailing  the  gospel 
of  God's   grace.     They  have  gone   entirely  over  to  the 
denial  of  everything  that  is  gracious  and  holy  and  script- 
ural, and  the   main  cause  cf  their  apostasy  is  their  own 
invmcible    self-confidence.     They    were   so   strong   that 
they  became  weaker  than  others.     0  brethren,  when  we 
are  very  wise  in  our  own  esteem,  we  are  bordering  upon 
fools,  even  if  we  have  not  already  entered  into  that  com- 
pany.    When  we  tremblingly  sit  at  Jesus'  feet,  to  learn 
everything  fresh,  and  fresh  from  him  5  when  we  shudder 
at  anything  that  questions  his  Deity,  or  lowers  his  sacri- 
fice ;  when  we  shut  up  a  book  and  cast   it   from  us,  be- 
cause we  feel  that  it  pollutes  us  with  mibelief — then  are 
we  wise   and   strong.     When  the  Word   of  the   Lord  is 
enough,  then  are  we  in  the  way  of  wisdom  and  strength. 
The  man  of  one  book  is  proverbially  a  terrible  mon  ;  but 
the  man  of  ten  thousand  books,  who  can  baffle  all  adver- 
saries and  foil  all  foes,  shall  soon  lie  wounded  on  the  plain, 
if  he  be  not  slain  outright.     Let  us  take  heed  unto  our- 
selves,  that  we  fall  not  through  being  headstrong,   or 
strong  in  the  head,  which  is  much  the  same  thing. 

Again,  I  have  noticed  some  professedly  Christian  peo- 
ple tvonderfidJy  strong  tliroujli  experience.     Their  expcri- 


370  A    PARADOX. 

ence  has  been  very  extensive,  and  the  knowledge  it  has 
brought  them  they  consider  to  be  specially  profound, 
and,  consequently,  they  are  not  afraid  of  temptation,  for 
they  feel  that  they  are  too  wise  to  be  entrapped.  They 
are  so  expeiienced  now,  that  things  which  young  people 
ought  not  to  think  of,  they  can  do  with  impunity — so 
they  foolishly  dream.  They  can  go  just  so  far,  and  then 
stop,  for  they  are  fitted  with  the  patent  brakes  of  pru- 
dence. They  are  such  good  mountain  climbers  that  they 
can  stand  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  and  look  over,  and 
even  hang  over,  without  fear  of  their  ever  being  giddy 
and  falling  over.  Of  course  they  would  not  advise  other 
people  to  go  quite  so  far  as  they  may  safely  go  ;  but 
then,  what  is  temptation  to  other  men  is  no  temptation  to 
them.  Their  vessel  is  so  tight  and  trim,  and  they  un- 
derstand navigation  so  perfectly,  that  they  rather  like  a 
tempest  than  not,  just  to  show  how  avcU  their  vessel  can 
behave  in  a  storm.  Ah  me  !  When  you  next  read  the 
list  of  wrecks,  you  may  expect  to  see  the  name  of  their 
ship  among  the  castaways.  Old  birds  may  not  be  caught 
with  chaff,  but  they  can  be  shot  with  a  gun.  No  one  is 
out  of  danger,  and  no  one  is  more  in  danger  than  the 
man  who  is  carnally  secure.  Those  who  feel  that  their 
experience,  be  it  what  it  may,  only  teaches  them  that  the 
farther  they  can  keep  from  temptation  the  better,  these 
are  in  a  better  state.  When  experience  drives  us  to 
pray  wdth  emphasis  the  prayer  ^^  Lead  us  not  into  temp- 
tation," then  it  is  working  aright.  In  the  idea  of 
strength  and  wisdom  lurks  an  awfully  perilous  weakness; 
but  in  a  sense  of  personal  weakness  dwells  a  real 
strength.  If  you  are  extremely  jealous,  conscientious, 
and  w^atchfiil,  many  will  tell  you  how  weak  you  are  ;  but 
you  are,  in  reality,  a  strong  man,  because  of  your  fear  to 


A   PARADOX.  377 

encounter  evil  influences  :  in  that  fear  lies  one  essential 
element  of  holy  strength.  While  he  that  rather  braves 
temptation,  because  he  feels  so  strong,  shall  find,  it  may 
be  to  his  everlasting  sorrow,  how  great  his  v/eakness  is  5 
he  that  shuns  the  appearance  of  evil,  because  of  conscious 
weakness,  shall  find  therein  his  security  and  strength. 
Oh,  let  none  of  us,  because  we  are  getting  gray,  suppose 
that  we  are  invulnerable  to  sin  !  Let  us  not  dream  that 
because  we  have  been  church-members  so  many  years, 
or  even  because  we  have  sustained  a  long  and  useful 
ministry,  we  are  therefore  beyond  gun-shot  of  the  ene- 
my, or  without  necessity  to  seek  daily  strength  for  daily 
duty.  My  brethren,  we  cannot  perform  the  smallest 
duty  aright  apart  from  the  help  of  God  ;  neither  can  we 
be  secure  against  even  the  grossest  sin,  apart  from  the 
perpetual  guard  of  him  that  keepeth  Israel.  If  we,  in 
our  self-conceit,  write  ourselves  down  among  the  mighti- 
est, and  forget  our  entire  dependence  upon  heavenly 
grace,  we  may  be  left  to  prove,  by  unhappy  experience, 
that  pride  goeth  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit 
before  a  fall. 

Let  us  note  another  point.  I  have  known  certain 
Christian  people  who  thought  themselves  singularlj/ 
strong  in  the  matter  oftvisdom  and  prudence.  They  have 
been  gifted  with  clear  insight  and  a  measure  of  shrewd- 
ness, and  have,  therefore,  felt  that  their  judgment  on 
most  subjects  was  that  of  an  umpire.  Have  you  ever 
noticed  that  the  raw  material  of  a  very  grossly  foolish 
person  is  a  cautious  individual  ?  The  cunning  are  the 
readiest  dupes  when  craft  is  busy  in  taking  its  prey. 
So,  too,  a  wise  man  is  needed  if  there  is  to  be  exhibited 
the  worst  form  of  folly.  If  we  were  called  upon  to 
select  a  man  who,  as  to  his  life  as  a  whole,  perpetrated 


378  A   PARADOX. 

the  greatest  folly,  we  should  mention  Solomon.  Yet  he 
was  the  wisest  of  men.  Yes,  the  cream  of  wisdom,  when 
curdled,  makes  the  worst  of  folly.  Was  ever  man  so  in- 
sanely enthusiastic  in  vain  pursuits  as  this  master  of  all 
knowledge  ?  Then,  brethren,  whenever  we  feel  sure  of 
our  own  superior  intelligence,  let  us  suspect  ourselves  of 
weakness.  Let  the  same  fear  come  upon  us  when  we 
feel  sure  about  our  way,  so  sure  that  we  think  we  need 
not  pray  about  it,  or  in  any  manner  wait  for  divine  direc- 
tion. Beware  of  those  matters  in  which  you  think 
you  cannot  err.  Men  who  have  been  wise  in  great 
difficulties  have  blundered  fearfully  where  all  was  sim- 
ple. The  Israelites  thought  that  the  men  who  came  to 
them  begging  for  a  league  of  brotherhood  coidd  not  de- 
ceiv^e  them.  It  must  be  safe  to  be  on  good  terms  with 
these  interesting  strangers.  Why,  look,  their  shoes  are 
well-nigh  worn  from  their  feet,  and  patched  and  clouted 
to  the  last  degree  !  Their  clothes,  which  we  doubt  not 
were  new  when  they  left  their  distant  homes,  are  now 
threadbare,  and  their  biscuit,  which  they  took  fresh  from 
the  oven,  is  stale  with  age.  It  is  evident,  upon  the  face 
of  it,  that  they  must  have  come  from  a  very  remote  part 
of  the  world,  and  therefore  a  treaty  with  them  will  not 
interfere  with  the  divine  command.  There  can  be  no 
need  to  pray  about  a  case  so  clear.  Thus  the  Gibeonites 
overreached  them,  as  we  also  shall  be  overreached  when 
we  are  so  exceedingly  sure  of  our  course.  Brethren,  let 
us  not  be  so  wise  as  to  dispense  with  our  heavenly  Coun- 
sellor and  Guide.  Would  not  that  be  the  height  of  mad- 
ness ?  It  is  a  salutary  thing  to  feel  that  your  case  re- 
quires you  to  trust  the  helm  of  your  ship  with  the  divine 
Pilot.  It  is  even  a  blessed  thing  to  feel  that  you  are 
shut  up  to  faith,  and  must  by  absolute  trust  in  God  throw 


A   PARADOX.  370 

the  responsibility  of  your  action  upon  liim.  I  will  give 
you  an  instance.  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful,  is 
placed  in  a  peculiar  position.  God  has  commanded  him 
to  take  his  son  Isaac,  and  offer  him  for  a  sacrifice.  Here 
is  a  terrible  puzzle.  Here  was  enough  to  stagger  any 
human  mind.  Surely  it  coidd  not  be  right  for  a  father 
to  slay  his  son  !  How  coidd  it  be  wise  to  kill  the  son  in 
whom  all  the  promises  of  God  were  vested  ?  The  more 
you  think  of  the  case  from  a  father's  standpoint,  the 
more  it  will  perplex  you.  Abraham  could  not  make  any 
thing  out  of  it  by  his  judgment,  but  he  met  it  all  by 
faith.  All  that  he  could  say  to  Isaac  was,  "  My  son,  God 
will  provide  himself  a  Lamb."  He  was  thus  saying  to 
himself,  ^^  The  Lord  will  get  me  out  of  this  difficulty.'^ 
He  had  no  wisdom  with  which  to  conjecture  how  the 
affair  woidd  end  :  he  had  to  cease  from  guessing,  and 
just  trust  in  his  God.  Abraham  made  no  mistake  in 
this.  Oh  that  we  could  do  the  same  !  Observe  that 
same  Abraham  when  he  goes  down  to  Egypt.  His  wife 
is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  he  fears  that  the  king  of 
Egypt  will  kill  him  in  order  to  obtain  his  wife  ;  what 
will  he  do  ?  I  can  see  a  great  many  ways  in  which  he 
might  have  warded  off  that  evil.  He  was  not  called 
upon  to  go  to  Egypt  at  all,  if  he  thereby  risked  his  wife's 
honor ;  or,  if  he  must  go,  he  should  have  gone  boldly, 
acknowledging  his  wife,  and  trusting  both  her  and  him- 
self with  the  Lord.  Instead  of  that,  the  patriarch  begins 
by  inducing  Sarah  to  join  with  him  in  equivocation. 
''  Say  thou  art  my  sister."  She  was  in  some  sense  his 
sister ;  but  it  was  using  a  word  in  a  double  sense  for  a 
deceitful  purpose,  and  it  was  a  pitiful  thing  for  Abraham 
to  do.  Nor  was  it  a  prudent  scheme  after  all :  in  fact 
it  was  the  cause  of  the  very  trouble   which  it  sought  to 


380  A    PARADOX. 

prevent.  Sarah  would  not  have  been  taken  away  from 
Abraham  at  all  if  Pharaoh  had  known  that  she  was  his 
wife  5  so  that  the  wise  was  snared  bj  his  own  craftiness. 
The  Lord  graciously  delivered  him,  but  in  that  very  act 
left  a  root  of  bitterness  behind  to  be  his  future  plague. 
Pharaoh  gave  to  him  women-servants,  and  I  doubt  not 
among  the  rest  was  Hagar,  who  became  the  object  of 
sin,  and  the  source  of  sorrow  to  the  household.  In 
the  fancied  strength  of  Abraham,  by  which  he  emulated 
the  craft  of  other  Orientals,  he  displayed  his  weakness  ; 
but  in  the  other  case,  where  no  wit  or  wisdom  could 
assist  him,  he  cast  himself  upon  the  Lord,  and  in  his 
weakness  he  behaved  like  the  grand  man  that  he  really 
was.  Brothers,  let  us  confess  ourselves  fools,  that  we 
may  be  wise  ;  for  otherwise  we  shall  fall  into  that  other 
condition,  of  professing  ourselves  wise,  and  becoming 
fools.  Let  us  ignore  our  wisdom.,  even  if  we  have  any. 
God  alone  is  wise  :  he  that  trusteth  either  his  own  heart 
or  head  is  a  fool.  Lean  not  to  thine  own  understanding, 
but  lean  wholly  upon  the  Lord  ;  so  shalt  thou  be  estab- 
lished. 

Further,  dear  friends,  ive  shall  often  find  that  our 
strength  will  lie  in  patience — in  extreme  weakness  which 
yields  itself  up  to  the  v»'ill  of  God  without  the  power  or 
will  to  murmur.     We  sang  in  our  hymn  just  now — 

"  And  when  it  seems  no  chance  nor  change 
From  grief  can  set  me  free, 
Hope  finds  its  strength  in  heli)lessness, 
And,  patient,  waits  on  thee." 

I  am  sure  that  in  reference  to  power,  either  to  do  or  to 
suifer  rightly,  we  are  not  strong  when  we  compliment 
ourselves  upon  our  ability  ;  and  we    are  strong  when, 


A  PARADOX.  3gX 

under  a  sense  of  absolute  inability,  we  depend  wholly 
upon  God.  That  sermon  preached  in  the  glory  of  our 
oratory  turned  out  to  be  mere  husks  for  swine  ;  while 
that  discourse  which  we  delivered  in  weakness,  with  a 
humble  hope  that  God  would  use  it,  proved  to  be  rovai 
meat  for  the  Lord's  chosen.  That  work  which  you  per- 
formed in  the  vigor  of  your  unquestioned  talent  came  to 
nothing,  while  that  quiet  act  which  you  washed  with 
your  tears,  and  perfumed  with  your  prayers,  will  live 
and  yield  you  sheaves.  Creature  strength  brings  forth 
nothing  which  has  life  in  it:  only,  the  seed  which  the 
Creator  puts  into  the  hand  of  our  weakness  will  produce 
a  harvest.  It  is  well  to  be  nothing  :  it  is  better  still  to 
be  "  less  than  nothing."  We  ought  to  dread  a  sense  of 
capacity,  for  it  will  render  us  incapable ;  but  a  sense  of 
utter  incapacity  apart  from  God  is  a  fit  preparation  for 
being  used  by  the  Lord.  '^  Unto  them  that  have  no 
mi^fht  he  incrcaseth  streno-th/' 

So  it  is  in  bearing  as  well  as  acting.  If  we  say  con- 
cerning sickness,  ''  I  shall  never  be  impatient.  I  can 
bear  it  like  a  stoic."  What  of  that  ?  You  will  then 
have  done  no  more  than  many  have  done  before  you, 
with  no  great  gain  to  themselves  or  to  others.  But  if, 
bowing  your  head  before  the  Lord,  you  wait  his  sov- 
ereign wiir,  and  say,  ^'  Lord  help  me.  If  thy  left  hand 
shall  smite  me,  let  thy  right  hand  sustain  me.  I  am  will- 
ing to  drink  this  bitter  cup,  saying,  ^  Xot  as  I  will,  but 
as  thou  wilt.'  Lord,  help  me  !  " — you  shall  bear  up  tri- 
umphantly, and  come  out  of  the  furnace  refined,  to  the 
praise  and  the  glory  of  your  God.  When  you  fancy  that 
you  are  strong  to  suffer,  you  will  fail ;  but  in  conscious 
weakness  you  will  be  enabled  to  play  the  man. 

I  have  now  done  with   the  text,  as  I  have  turned  it 


382  A   PARADOX. 

upside  down.  May  God  bless  it  to  any  here  vvdio  feel  higli 
and  mighty,  by  causing  it  to  put  them  in  their  proper 
place. 

II.  Now,  let  us  take  our  text  the  eight  way  up» 
WARDS.  ^^When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong." 
"  When  "  and  "  then  "  are  the  two  pivots  of  the  text — 
the  hinges  upon  which  it  turns. 

^^  When  1  am  weak.''  What  does  that  mean  1  It 
means  when  the  believer  is  consciously  weaJc^  when  he 
painfully  feels,  and  distinctly  recognizes  that  he  is  weak, 
then  he  is  strong.  In  truth,  we  are  always  weak, 
whether  we  know  it  or  not ;  but  when  we  not  only  be- 
lieve this  to  be  the  fact,  but  see  it  to  be  the  fact — then  it 
is  that  we  are  strong.  When  it  is  forced  home  upon  us, 
that  we  are  less  than  nothing  and  vanity — when  our 
very  soul  echoes  and  re-echoes  that  word,  "  Without  me 
ye  can  do  nothing  " — then  it  is  that  we  are  strong. 

When  he  is  groivingli)  tveaJc.  Yes,  for  he  sees  his  own 
weakness  more  and  more  clearly  as  he  advances  :  as  he 
grows  stronger  in  faith  he  is  much  more  conscious  of  the 
weakness  of  the  flesh.  I  talked  about  my  weakness  from 
this  platform  five-and-twenty  years  ago ;  but  I  stand 
here  and  tremble  under  it  now  to  a  far  greater  degree 
than  I  did  in  my  younger  and  more  vigorous  time.  I 
knew  it  three-and-thirty  years  ago,  when  I  first  spoke  to 
you,  but  I  did  not  know  it  as  I  know  it  now.  I  was  then 
weak,  and  I  owned  it  :  but  I  am  now  weak,  and  groan 
about  it  almost  involuntarily.  Yes,  and  I  sometimes 
sing  because  of  my  weakness,  learning  to  glory  in  my 
infirmities  because  the  power  of  Christ  doth  rest  upon 
me.  When  we  are  grov>dngly  weak,  when  we  become 
weaker  and  weaker,  when  we  seem  to  faint  into  a  deeper 
swoon  than  ever  as  to  our   own  strength,  till  death  is 


A   PARADOX.  383 

written  upon  every  power  that  we  once  thought  we  liad, 
and  we  feel  that  we  can  do  absolutely  nothing  apart  from 
the  Holy  Spirit,  then  we  are  strong  indeed. 

We  are  strong,  too,  when  we  feel  painfully  iveaJc,  It 
is  well  when  we  mourn  because  we  are  so  weak,  and  cry 
out  to  ourselves,  "  My  weakness,  my  weakness,  woe  unto 


m( 


When  I  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me. 
When  I  woidd  rise  to  heaven,  the  body  of  this  death  de- 
tains me.  I  would  do  great  things  for  God,  but  I  have 
no  might.  Alas  for  my  weakness  !  "  At  such  a  time  we 
are  really  rising,  and  are  bringing  most  glory  to  God. 
These  are  growing  pains — agonies  such  as  none  know 
but  the  truly  and  growingly  spiritual.  A  painful  weak- 
ness is  strength.  It  may  seem  a  paradox,  but  it  is  true. 
We  are  strong  when  we  are  contritely  tveaJc.  When  we 
confess  that  much  of  our  weakness  is  our  fault — a  weak- 
ness which  we  ought  to  have  overcome — even  then  we 
have  in  that  weakness  a  real  strength.  The  sort  of  weak- 
ness that  makes  a  man  say,  *^  I  cannot  be  any  stronger, 
I  am  doing  my  best,"  is  not  strength,  but  folly  ;  but  that 
weakness  which  makes  you  lament  your  failures  and  de- 
plore your  shortcomings,  has  in  it  a  holy  stimidus  and 
force.  That  weakness  which  makes  you  dissatisfied  with 
all  you  are  and  all  you  do,  is  goading  you  on  to  better 
and  stronger  things.  If  you  feel  that  even  when  most 
earnest  you  have  not  prayed  as  you  could  wish,  there  is 
evidently  strength  in  your  desires,  and  your  desires  are 
prayers.  If  after  any  service  you  pour  forth  showers  of 
penitential  tears  because  the  service  was  imperfect,  there 
is  evidently  a  strong  soul  of  obedience  within  you.  When 
you  can  neither  repent,  nor  believe,  nor  love  as  you  wish 
to  do,  you  are  repenting,  believing,  and  loving  with  a 
strength  which  is  more  true  than  apparent.     It  is  the 


384  'i   PARADOX. 

will  with  Trhicli  we  act  which  is  the  strength  of  the 
action  j  and  when  the  will  is  so  powerful  that  it  makes 
us  mourn  because  we  cannot  lind  how  to  perform  its  bid- 
ding, then  are  we  strong  according  to  the  divine  meas- 
urement of  strength.  Contrite  weakness  is  spiritual 
strength. 

When  a  man  is  tliorougliJif  tveaJc — not  only  partially, 
but  altogether  weak — then  is  he  strong.  When  apart 
from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  is  utter  weakness,  and 
nothing  more — ^then  it  is  that  he  is  strong.  Let  me  per- 
suade you  to  make  a  full  confession  of  weakness  to  the 
Lord.  Say,  "  Lord,  I  cannot  do  what  I  ought  to  do  :  I 
cannot  do  vv^hat  I  want  to  do  :  I  cannot  do  what  I  used  to 
do :  I  cannot  do  what  other  people  do  :  I  cannot  do  what 
I  mean  to  do :  I  cannot  do  what  I  am  sure  I  shall  do  :  I 
cannot  do  what  I  feel  impelled  to  do  ;  and  over  this  sin- 
ful weakness  I  mourn."  Then  add,  ^^  Lord,  I  long  to 
serve  thee  perfectly,  yet  I  cannot  do  it.  Unless  thou 
help  me  I  can  do  nothing  aright.  There  Vv^iil  be  no  good 
in  my  actions,  my  words,  my  feelings,  or  my  desires,  un- 
less thou  continue  to  fill  me  with  thine  own  holy  energy. 
Lord,  help  me !  Lord,  help  me !  Brother,  you  are 
strong  while  you  plead  in  that  fashion.  You  can  do  ail 
things  through  Christ  who  strengtheneth  you  5  and  he 
Aviil  strengthen  you,  now  that  you  are  emptied  of  self. 
How  true  it  is,  '^  When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong ! " 

I  have  brought  out  the  ''  when."  Now  lend  me  your 
ears  and  hearts  just  for  a  minute,  Avhile  I  bring  out  the 
^^  then."     "  Then  am  I  strong."     When  is  that  ? 

Why,  a  man  is  strong  when  he  is  consciously  weak, 
because  noiv  he  has  reached  the  truth.  He  really  is 
weak ;  and  if  he  does  not  know  that  he  is  so,  he  is  under 
the  influence  of  a  falsehood.     Now  a  lie  is  a  thing  of 


A  PARADOX.  385 

weakness.  Lying  strength  is  all  fluff  and  foam  :  a  mere 
appearance,  a  mockery,  a  delusion.  Nothing  hinders 
from  getting  the  reality  like  contentment  Avith  a  mere 
appearance.  The  true  heart  is  heartily  sick  of  shows 
and  shams,  and  it  cries,  '^  Lord,  help  me  to  get  rid  of 
these  shadows  !  Help  me  to  come  at  the  truth  !  Help 
me  to  deal  with  realities  !  "  When  you  are  made  to  feel 
your  utter  weakness  you  are  on  sure  ground  of  truth — 
unpleasant  truth,  no  doubt,  yet  sure  truth.  You  are  now 
on  safe  ground  touching  fundamentals,  and  making  sure 
work.  What  you  now  do  will  be  soundly  done.  All  the 
while  that  we  keep  building  on  a  sandy  made-up  founda- 
tion, we  are  piling  up  that  which  will,  in  all  probability, 
come  doAvn  even  faster  than  we  put  it  up.  While  the 
rotten  rubbish  remains  on  the  spot,  you  cannot  do  any- 
thing worth  doing ;  but  if  that  accumulation  can  be  carted 
away,  there  will  seem  to  be  a  great  hole,  but  you  will  get 
down  to  the  real  bottom,  and  get  a  foundation ;  and  then 
what  you  build  will  be  worth  putting  up,  because  it  will 
stand.  Therefore,  a  man  becomes  strong  when  he  is 
consciously  weak,  because  he  is  on  the  truth,  and  is  not 
being  flattered  by  false  hopes. 

Next,  he  will  be  strong  because  he  will  only  go  with  a 
commission  to  support  him.  He  vrill  not  be  eager  to  run 
without  being  sent.  He  says  within  himself,  when  he 
proposes  a  service  to  himself,  "  No,  I  am  too  weak  to 
undertake  anything  of  my  own  head.''  He  will  wait  for 
a  call.  This  is  not  the  kind  of  man  that  Avill  climb  up 
into  a  pulpit,  and  from  a  dizzy  brain  pour  out  nonsense. 
He  will  not  crave  to  lead,  for  he  feels  that  he  needs  much 
help  even  to  follow.  He  feels  himself  too  weak  to  set  up 
for  a  master  in  Israel.  This  is  not  the  kind  of  man  that 
will  venture  into  argument  with  sceptics  for  the   fim  cr 


386  ^  PARADOX. 

for  the  glory  of  the  thing.  Ch,  no  ;  he  is  too  weak  for 
that.  He  says,  "  If  I  am  called  to  defend  the  faith,  I 
will  do  it  in  God's  strength,  hoping  that  it  vfill  be  given 
me  in  the  same  hour  what  I  shall  speak.  If  I  am  called 
to  preach  I  will  preach,  and  nobody  skall  stop  me  ;  for 
the  Lord  will  be  with  my  mouth.  But,  you  see,  until 
the  man  is  conscious  of  his  own  weakness,  he  will  run 
without  being  sent ;  and  there  is  nobody  so  weak  as  that 
man.  No  one  so  weak  as  the  man  who  has  no  commis- 
sion from  God,  and  no  promise  of  help  from  him.  Such 
a  man  will  be  thinking  of  this,  and  thinking  of  that,  and 
running  for  this,  that,  and  the  other,  because  he  has  a 
lot  of  waste  energy  which  he  wants  to  use  somewhere  or 
somehow.  Could  we  once  see  him  consciously  weak  we 
should  hear  him  say,  ^^  Here  am  I,  send  me  !  "  in  answer 
to  the  question,  "Whom  shall  I  send?''  Then  he  would 
not  go  a  warfare  at  his  own  charges,  but  he  would  draw 
upon  the  all-sufficiency  of  God,  and  find  himself  equal  to 
every  emergency. 

The  man  who  is  consciously  weak  is  strong,  next,  be- 
cause of  the  holy  caution  that  he  ivill  he  sure  to  use.  He 
will  be  on  his  guard,  because  he  does  not  feel  able  to  cope 
with  adversaries.  He  will  ask  for  a  convoy  for  his  lit- 
tle barque,  for  he  is  aware  of  pirates.  If  this  weak  man 
has  to  pass  through  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death, 
depend  upon  it  he  will  carry  in  his  hand  the  weapon  of 
All-prayer,  like  a  drawn  sword.  The  man  that  has 
strength  goes  hurrying  on  over  hedge  and  ditch,  and 
soon  comes  into  mischief;  but  the  consciously  weak  pil- 
grim keeps  to  the  high-road,  and  travels  carefully  ;  and 
hence  he  is  strong.  Fear  is  a  notably  good  housekeeper  : 
she  may  not  keep  a  luxurious  table,  but  she  always  locks 
the  doors  at  night,  and  takes  care  of  all  under  her  charge. 


A   PARADOX.  387 

Hclv  caution  begets  prudence;  and  prudence,  by  fos- 
tering vigor,  and  crying  for  heavenly  aid,  becomes 
strength. 

Moreover,  when  a  man  is  weak,  then  is  he  strong, 
because  lie  is  sure  to  pray,  and  prayer  is  power.  The 
man  who  laments  his  weakness  is  sure  to  cry  to  the 
strong  for  strcHgth.  The  more  his  weakness  presses  on 
him,  the  more  will  he  pray.  While  he  can  do  without 
his  God  he  will  do  without  his  God  j  but  when  his  own 
weakness  becomes  utter  and  entire,  and  he  is  ready  to 
perish,  then  he  turns  unto  his  Lord,  and  is  made  strong. 
The  utterly  weak  cry  out  mito  God  as  nobody  else  does. 
He  is  too  weak  to  play  at  praying  :  he  groans,  he  sighs, 
he  weeps.  In  his  abject  weakness  he  prevails,  as  Jacob 
did.  He  wrestled  all  night ;  but  now  at  last  the  angel 
has  touched  the  hollow  of  his  thigh,  and  made  his  sinew 
shrink,  and  he  cannot  wrestle  any  longer.  What  will  he 
do  now  ?  He  falls  ;  and  as  he  falls  he  grasps  his  antag- 
onist, and  holds  him  fast,  crying,  ^^  I  will  not  let  thee  go 
except  thou  bless  me."  As  much  as  to  say,  "  I  cannot 
wrestle  with  thee,  I  cannot  try  another  fall ;  but  I  can 
and  will  hold  thee  fast.  The  dead  weight  of  my 
weakness  makes  me  hold  thee  as  an  anchor  holds  a 
ship.  I  will  not  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless 
me." 

The  weaker  a  man  is  in  himself  the  stronger  he  is  in 
prayer,  if  he  makes  use  of  his  weakness  as  an  appealing 
argument — "  Lord,  if  I  were  strong,  thou  mightest  leave 
me.  Do  not  leave  me,  for  I  am  weakness  itself.  I  am 
the  feeblest  child  in  all  thy  family,  leave  me  not,  neither 
forsake  me.  If  thou  leavest  any,  leave  not  thy  poor  dy- 
ing infant,  that  can  hardly  wail  out  its  griefs."     Weak- 


3«8  ^  PARADOX. 

ness,  as  a  plea  witli  God  in  prayer,  becomes  a  source  of 
strengtli. 

When  we  are  weak  we  are  strong,  again,  because  then 
ive  are  driven  aivay  from  self  to  God,  All  strengtli  is  in 
God,  and  it  is  well  to  come  to  the  one  solitary  store- 
house and  source  of  might.  There  is  no  power  apart 
from  God.  As  long  as  you  and  I  look  to  the  creature, 
we  are  looking  to  a  cracked,  broken  cistern,  that  holds 
no  water ;  but  when  we  know  that  it  is  broken,  and  that 
there  is  not  a  drop  of  water  in  it,  then  we  hasten  to  the 
great  foimtain  and  well-head.  While  we  rest  in  any 
measure  upon  self,  or  the  creature,  we  are  standing  with 
one  foot  on  the  sand  ;  but  when  we  get  right  away  from 
human  nature  because  we  are  too  weak  to  have  the  least 
reliance  upon  self  whatever,  then  we  have  both  feet  on 
the  rock,  and  this  is  safe  standing.  If  thou  believest  in 
the  living  God,  and  if  all  thine  own  existence  is  by  be- 
lieving, thou  livest  at  a  mighty  rate.  But  if  thou  be- 
lievest in  God  in  a  measure,  and  if,  at  the  same  time, 
thou  trustest  thyself  in  a  measure,  thou  art  living  at  a 
dying  rate,  and  half  the  joy  which  is  possible  to  thee  is 
lost.  Thou  art  taking  in  bread  with  one  hand,  and  poi- 
son with  the  other  :  thou  art  feeding  thy  soul  with  sub- 
stance and  with  shadow,  and  that  makes  a  sorry  mixt- 
ure. When  the  shadow  is  clean  taken  away,  and  thou 
hast  nothing  but  the  substance,  then  art  thou  a  strong 
man,  fed  upon  substantial  meat. 

Last  of  all,  dear  friends,  I  believe  that,  when  a  man 
is  weak,  he  becomes  strong  to  a  large  extent,  because 
Ms  weakness  compels  him  to  concentrate  all  Ms  fac- 
ulties, 

A  sense  of  weakness  brings  out  all  the  forces  of  a  res- 
olute spirit,  and  leads  him  to  call  in  all  the  energy  within 


A  PARADOX.  389 

Lis  reach.  When  I  have  preached  to  you  in  extreme 
weakness,  as  I  have  often  done,  when  I  have  afterwards 
read  the  sermon,  I  have  been  much  more  satisfied  with 
it  than  I  have  been  with  others  in  which  I  felt  more 
pleasure  at  the  time. 

God  helps  us  most  when  we  most  need  his  help ;  and, 
besides  that,  the  man  himself  is,  by  his  weakness,  forc- 
ed to  use  himself  right  up.  When  a  man  feels  himself 
to  be  rather  a  large  vessel,  he  puts  in  the  tap  somewhere 
near  the  top,  and  only  a  small  supply  flows  out  to  the 
people  ;  but  when  he  is,  in  his  own  feelings,  like  a  poor 
little  cask  with  only  a  small  supply  in  it,  he  puts 
the  tap  right  down  at  the  bottom,  and  permits  all 
that  is  in  the  barrel  to  flow  forth.  Many  a  poor, 
weak  brother,  who  says  all  the  little  that  he  knows,  gives 
forth  more  instruction  than  the  learned  divine  who  only 
favors  his  people  with  a  small  portion  of  his  vast  stores. 
When  a  man,  in  serving  God,  spends  himself  to  the  last 
farthing,  he  will  often  far  more  enrich  his  hearers  than 
the  man  of  ten  talents  who  uses  his  resources  with 
a  prudent  parsimony.  Dear  brother,  it  will  often  be  a 
good  thing  for  you  to  feel,  ^^  Now,  God  helping  me,  I 
must  do  my  very  utmost  this  time.  I  have  so  little 
ability  that  every  faculty  within  me  must  be  wide 
awake,  and  serve  God  at  its  best."  Thus  your  weakness 
will  arouse  you,  and  set  you  on  fire,  and,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  it  will  be  the  means  of  gaining  you 
strength. 

Very  well,  then,  let  us  pick  up  our  tools  and  go  to  our 
work  rejoicing,  feeling— Well,  I  may  be  weaker,  or  I 
may  be  stronger  in  myself,  but  my  strength  is  in  my 
God.  If  I  should  ever  become  stronger,  then  I  must 
pray  for  a  deeper  sense  of  weakness,  lest  I  become  weak 


390  ^   PARADOX. 

througli  my  strength.  And  if  I  should  ever  become 
weaker  than  I  am,  then  I  must  hope  and  believe  that  I 
am  really  becoming  stronger  in  the  Lord.  Whether  I 
am  weak  or  strong,  what  matters  it  ?  He  who  never 
fails  and  never  changes  will  perfect  his  strength  in  my 
weakness,  and  this  is  glory  to  me.     Amen, 


f 


INDICES 

VOLS.   I.   TO   XIX. 

Memorial  Library 


OF 


SPURGEON 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS. 


(VOLUMES    1   TO   19.) 


Volume 
Abram  called,  a  type  of   the 

C'liurcli 19 

Abram,  Half-way  obedience. of  19 

Al).«oliUic)u  8 

Abfioliuioii 5 

Abs;oliition  of  the  believer 17 

Acceptance  in  Christ  eternal..  1:^2 

Accepted  in  the  Beloved 14 

Accepting  Christ  immediately.  13 
Account  of  Jud<?ment,  Personal    4 

Achan 3 

Achievements  of  God,  Unnoted  17 

Action  follows  faith 19 

Action  the  true  end  of  t,hou^ht  13 
Acts,    The    acceptance    of    a 

(..'hristian's 

"Added  to  the  Church,'"  what 

it  implies 10 

Adoption,  The  Spirit  of 5 

Advocate,  The  Holy  Spirit  an.    1 

^neas  of  Lidda 10 

Affection,  Inordinate 4 

Alfection,  Undivided 9 

Affliction,   Oman's    threshing- 
floor  a  type  of 15 

A^e,  Time  of  peculiar.. _.    2 

Aged  need  salvation.  The 12 

Aged,  Conversion  of  the 13 

Aged,  The  God  of  the.. 2 

Alarum,  The 9 

Altar  ve7's us  pulpit 3 

Ambition,  God  humbles  human  13 
Ambassadors  of  God  welcomed  12 
Angels,  Men  warned  by  fallen.  16 

Angel, The 5 

Angels  at  the  Bethel,  The 10 

Angels  and  Providence,  The._    2 
Angels,  The  judgment  of  tlie.  '  (j 
Angels,  ministers  of  comfort..    5 
Anglo  Saxon  race  and  the  Gos- 
pel  15 

Anointed  Saviour,  Jesus  the..  10 
Anxiety  to  keep  God's  Laws..  13 
Anxious  believer,  Martha  an..  Id 

Apostasy,  Temptation  to 15 

Apostasy,  Arguments  urged  for  15 

Apostasy,  How  to  combat 15 

Apostolic  work.   Style  of 1 

Appeal  to  the  sinner.  Solemn. _  13 

Arab,  Anecdote  of  street 6 

Argument     for     becoming     a 

Christian 17 

Argumentum  adhominem.  The  10 

Ark,  Animals  in  the 4 

Ark,  Size  of  the 4 

Ark,  the.. 5 

Ark,  The  Parable  of  the. 4 

Arnold 9 


Page 

57 

60 

69 

158 

291 

200 

295 

117 

13T 

249 

184 

30 

110 

6      198 

56 
107 

70 
379 
338 
332 

346 
365 

17 
357 
361 
342 
157 
372 
127 

56 

40 
290 
192 

51 
199 

73 

384 

3:31 

183 

15 

17 

19 

392 

122 

58 

232 

370 

14 

3 

367 

1 

63 


Volume 

Asa,  The  error  of  King 10 

Ascension,  Lessons  of  the 17 

Ashamed  of  Jesus 12 

Asj)iration  urged 15 

Assurance 4 

Assurances 5 

Atonement  antedates  ein 12 

Atonement,  The  blood  of 2 

Atonement,  The  day  of 2 

Atonement,  The  limit  of 4 

Attention  to  Christ 13 

Attending  Church 12 

Attributes  of  God, The. 7 

Avarice 5 

Awake,  How  to  keep 9 

"Awake."  How  to  keep. 1 

A  wheel,  Providence  like 2 


Babel,  Building 

Backsliders,  The 

Backsliders,  Mercy  for 

Ba'-ksliders  returning 

Bakers,  The 

Balaam 

Balaam 

Balaam 

Banquet,  Satan's 

Baptism  and  remission  of  sin. 
Baptism  a  refreshment  of  faith 

Baptism  not  Regeneration 

Baptism  of  children  not  admin- 
istered by  the  disciples... 
Baptism  the  avowal  of  faith.. 

Baptism,  The  effects  of 

Baptism  in  the  Prayer  Book.. 

Baptismal  Regeneration 

Baptismal  Regeneration 

Baptismal  Service  in  the  Prayer 

Book 

Baptists,  The  old   confession 

of  faith  of _ 

"•  Base  Things,"  The 

Battle,  Thoughts  on  the  last- 
Begging,  How  to  go  a 

Beggar,  The  blind. 


Belief  and  Baptism.. _ 

Belief  in  Christ,  Motives  to.__ 

Belief,  The  Christian's _. 

Believer  a  saved  man.  The 

Believer's  cliallenge.  The 

Believer's  confidence,  The 

Believer,  Illustration   of  anx- 
ious   

Believer,  Marks  of  the  true... 
Believer  stands   when    angels 

fall 

Believer's  testimony 


Page 
73 

381 

328 

89 

81 

144 

199 

113 

1U4 

220 

225 

77 

67 

280 

352 

3.9 

190 


307 
204 
15G 

34 
123 

75 
244 
265 
270 
124 

33 

24 


31 
151 


70 
309 
274 
394 
399 
151 
311 
346 
232 
156 


183 
40 


394 


IXDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Volume 
Believers  only  to  be  added  to 

theChurch... —  10 

Benediction,  A  New  Year's 7 

Bereavements 2 

Bereavements _ 8 

Bereavements,  Sudden 7 

Bereft,  The  cry  of  the ._.  11 

Bethel,  The  God  of 10 

Bible,  Authority  of  the 1 

Bible,  God's  message 12 

Bible,  God  the  author  of  the..    1 

Bible,  how  treated 1 

Bible,  The 1 

Bitter  waters  sweetened 9 

Blessedness  of  pardon 12 

Blessedness  of  those  receiving 

Christ 18 

Blessings  are  all  from  God 17 

Blessings  common  to  all 17 

B!e^sings,   Gnvenant 6 

Blessings,  Future,  argued  from 

the  past 17 

Blessings  of  the  past  confessed  17 
Blessings.  Special  and  personal  17 

Blood  of  Abel 5 

Blood  of  Christ.  Price  of  the..    5 

Blood  of  the  Lamb 19 

Blood  of  Lamb.  Efflcacv  of  the    5 

Blood,  Shedding  the... 3 

Jilood-sprinkled  safe,  The 10 

Blood,  The  Avenger  of 3 

Blood,  The  Sprinkled 10 

Boastins:  excluded  by  faith 7 

Boasting,  Sin  and  fol'lvof 13 

Boasting.  Sin  of,  illustrated...  13 
Bodies.  Heavenly.  Proof  as  to.  14 
Body,  Earthly,  to  be  dissolved.  14 

Body,  h'esurrection  of  the 18 

Body,  The  members  of  the 10 

Body  to  be  glorified 14 

••  Born  again  " 7 

"  Bread  enough  and  to  spare  "    9 

Bread,  The  children's 10 

Brethren,  The  accuser  of  the..    7 

Brewer J 5 

Bride   of  Christ   prepared  by 

the  Holy  Spirit... 19 

Broad  wall,  The 9 

Broken  bones 4 

Broken   hearts 2 

Brotherhood  of  Christians 5 

Brotherly  kindness 6 

Bruised  reed 2 

Building,  Spiritual 14 

Buildinor,  Wrong   methods  of 

spiritual 14 

Bun  van,  John 6 

Bunvan's  preaching 4 

Burial  Service    of    Church  of 

England,  The 8 

Business  and  holiness 15 

Bus'-iess  man's  need  of  salva- 
tion  12 

Business,  Mind  your  own 7 


Page 

55 

11 

20 

122 

331 

80 

282 

29 

27 


23 

38.i 
226 

25 

37 

34 

230 

40 

31 

35 

66 

65 

304 

305 

283 

248 

108 

244 

289 

43 

44 

151 

142 

127 

14 

190 

163 

284 

373 

98 

125 

348 

98 

124 

19 

104 

331 

247 

42 

34 


70 


15 
105 


Volume  Page 

Business  stagnation 17  47 

Builder,  The. 51  126 

Butcher 5  124 

Buying  God's  blessings 14  263 

"By-path    Meadow"    rougher 

than  King's  Highway 10  85 

Caesar's  money 10  111 

Called 1  100 

Called  out  of  the  world 19  73 

Calling  and  election 3  345 

Calmness  and  evidence  of  faith  15  295 

Calumny,  Malicious 1  199 

Calvary,  A  visit  to 2  328 

Calvinism. 2  69 

Calvinism 5  90 

Calvinism  condensed 17  264 

Captiousness.  Warning  against  16  82 

Cares.  Old,  tempt  to  apostasy.  15  14 

Carnal  mind.  Serenity  of  the..    1  233 

Carnal  mind  subdued 13  380 

Carried  by  four 9  456 

Ceremony  dispensed  with 9  464 

Chaflf  driven  away.  The 7  293 

Chanseableness     in     common 

affairs 13  287 

Changeableness     in     spiritual 

affairs 13  298 

Chapters,    Bible   clumsily    di- 
vided into 17  274 

Chastening,  Comfort  under.. _    4  344 
Chastisement  not  punishment.    7  73 
Chastisement    of  saints    illus- 
trated   18  125 

Children,  Blessings  upon,  illus- 
trated   18  252 

Children  brought  to  Christ  not 

to  the  font 8  36 

Children  converted 8  48 

Children,    Examples    of    con- 
verted      2  348 

Children  may  be  Christians 2  346 

Children  need  salvation 12  12 

Children  not  baptized  by  dis- 
ciples     8  38 

Children  not  brought  to  Christ 

for  baptism 8  38 

Children  of  Godly  parents 11  222 

Children,  Salvation  of. 7  158 

Children,  Teaching 2  345 

Choice,  God's  strange _    8  297 

Christ,  a  curse  for  us. 2  290 

Christ  a  friend,  why? 3  15 

Christ,  Achievements  of 11  114 

Christ,  a  gate  to  a  feast 13  313 

Christ,  a  gate  to  home 13  312 

Christ,  All,  all  through 19  147 

Christ  a  man,  the  power  of  God    3  383 
Christ  a  man,  the  wisdom  of 

God 3  383 

Christ,  An  acquired  fulness  in.  12  253 

Christ  and  Christian  union 11  165 

Christ  an  indispensable  Medi- 
ator  12  123 


IXDEX    OF 


Volume  Page 

Christ,  anointed  Leader 11  271 

Christ,  appointed  of  God 12  115 

Christ,  a  ransom 12  CiO 

\^Christ,  a  sacrifice  for  sin 4  217 

Christ  as  a  friend 9  261 

Christ  as  agate .._  13  311 

Christ,  Ascension  of 17  3G8 

Christ,  a  substitute.. 12  43 

Christ,  a  \viilin<?  sufferer 18  8G 

Christ  breaking  the  way  into 

Heaven .18  66 

Christ  brings  no  clouds 11  68 

Christ,  chief  target  for  evil 11  168 

Christ,   Condescension  of 4  364 

Christ,  Conformity  to 9  453 

Christ  conquering  death 11  184 

Christ  conquering  Satan 11  188 

Christ,  Constancy  of 11  13 

Christ  crucified.. 1  85 

Christ,  Decreed  death  of 4  211 

Christ  defeating  sin 11  180 

Christ  despised  but  successful.  11  276 

Christ  died  for  sinners 2  416 

Christ  died  once  for  all 5  308 

Christ  displeased... 8  42 

Christ  dying  for  sin 14  86 

Christ  ever"  faithful 6  293 

Christ,  Exaltation  of 2  13G 

Christ,  Exaltation  of 17  362 

Christ  exalted  by  God 2  146 

Christ,  Fulness  of  perfection  in  12  257 
Christ,  Fulness  of  prerogative 

in 12  255 

Christ  given  to  believers 11  174 

Christ  glorified 4  377 

Christ  glorious 9  248 

Christ  glorious.  Preach 8  181 

Christ,  Glory  of 11  11 

Christ  God's  covering  for  sin.  12  197 

Christ  gone  into  Heaven 17  368 

Christ,  Guidance  of 11  16 

Christ,  His  nature  a  mystery..  44  163 

Christ,  His  power  in  Heaven..  18  83 

Christ,  His  resurrection 18  i;i3 

\  Christ,  How  to  find 3  101 

"^Christ,  Humiliation  of 17  345 

Christ,  Immutability  of 4  178 

Christ,  Influence  of. 11  15 

Christ  in  Gethsemane 18  75 

Christ  in  vou... 14  174 

Christ  is  a  feast 13  313 

Christ  is  all 9  429 

Christ  looking  on  Peter 19  282 

Christ  made  a  spoil  of 7  112 

Christ  meat  and  drink. 6  152 

Christ,  Merits  of _ 7  25 

Christ  must  be  received 18  18 

Christ,    mystical,    the   second 

rock 2  321 

Christ,  No  limit  to  power  of..  15  200 

Christ  now  our  representative.  17  374 

Christ  only... 19  340 

Christ  only  the  hope  of  sinners  14  167 

Christ  on  the  Cross 7  118 


Volume  Page 

Christ,  Opposition  to,  vain 6  73 

Christ  our  banner 11  164 

Christ  olr  guide  in  battle 11  167 

Chrititiiiir  high-priest... 17  343 

Christ^r  king... 12  96 

Christ  our  Iving 14  90 

Christ  our  lamb 18  115 

Christ  our  rej)resentative 19  212 

Christ  our  substitute 19  211 

Christ,  personal,  The  first  rock 

was 2  313 

Christ  possesses  all  things 12  118 

Christ  precious „    6  3."0 

Christ  precious  to  believers 8  261 

Christ,  Purpose  of 6  93 

Christ  rejected  of  men 11  273 

Christ  rich.... 4  365 

Christ,    Rough    character    of 

hearers  of 15  227 

Christ  soul  meat 9  149 

Christ  subject  for  the  gratitude 

of  the  aires 12  247 

Christ,  Suffering  for... 7  CO 

Christ  supi)lies  all  needs 18  11 

Christ  symbolized  by  a  star 11  7 

Christ  symbolized  by  morning 

light 11  63 

Christ,  the  centre  of  faith 19  40 

Christ,  the  Christian's  copy_._  14  230 

Christ  the  Comforter 11  171 

Christ,  The  condescension  of_    4  364 

Christ,  The  death  of 4  209 

Christ,  the  emblem  of  Chris- 
tian's victorv 11  172 

Christ,  the  faithful  promiscr..    4  101 
Christ,  The  fulness  of  God  in.  12  251 
Christ,  The  fulness  of  human- 
ity in 12  252 

Christ  the  gate  of  Paradise 13  315 

Christ  the  gate  of  the  City  of 

Refuge 13  311 

Christ  the  gift  of  the  Father..  11  173 
Christ  the  greatest  of  prophets 

and  teachers 4  98 

Christ  1  he  herald  of  glory 11  19 

Christ  the  hope  of  glory 14  179 

Christ  the  life-giving  bread...  18  9 

Christ  the  life  of  His  people..  15  196 

Christ  the  Mediator 12  95 

Christ    the  most  eloquent  of 

preachers 4  99 

Christ  the  object  of  faith 19  22 

Christ  the  power  and  wisdom 

of  God 3  375 

Christ  the  property  of  the  be- 
liever  2  390 

Christ  the  rock 2  214 

Christ  the  ton  of  the  Father..  17  355 
Christ  the  substituting  sacri- 
fice  9  129 

Christ  the  tree  of  life 11  134 

Christ  the  wooer 4  103 

Christ,  This  rock  was 2  312 

Christ  to  be  used  by  all. 18  27 


396 


IXDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Volume  Page 

Christ  triumphant 7  113 

Christ,  Unsearchable  riches  of.    9  254 

Christ,  Variety  in 6  255 

Christ  wasrich 4  368 

Christ,  What  think  ye  of 10  107 

Christ,  Witness  of,  contirmed.    2  217 

Christ,  Wonder  of.. 11  17 

Christ  wonderful  in  past 5  17 

Christ  wonderful  in  present. ._    5  24 

Christ,  Wrath  of 12  104 

Christ's  authority.  Nature  of__  11  8 

Christ's  blood,  sole  drink 9  150 

Christ's  cause  safe 17  381 

Christ's  death.  Intention  of...    6  99 

Christ's  death.  Object  of 6  105 

Christ's  death  the  act  of  God..    4  214 
Christ's    death    tlie    core    of 

Christianity 18  217 

Christ's  death  the  Father's  will    4  212 

Christ's  ritness  as  a  leader 11  272 

Christ's  flesh  me:it  indeed 9  144 

Christ's    fulness    received    by 

saints 12  260 

Chirst's  invitation,  to  whom  ex- 
tended   14  256 

Christ's  qualifications  as  priest  17  345 
Christ's  sonship  acknowledged 

by  the  Father 14  275 

Christ's  sufferings  an  appeal  to 

sinners '. 13  126 

Christ's  sufferings  unique 13  133 

Christ's  sufferings  vicarious 13  136 

Christ's Avork  for  the  lost  pre- 
cedes that  of  the  Christian  16  18 

Christ's  youth,  The  dew  of 6  .  249 

Christian  army,  The 5  388 

Christian  a  brand  out  of  fire...  13  352 

Christian,  Achievements  of  the  11  125 

Christian,  A  fallen 5  250 

Christian,  a   man  "in  Christ 

Jesus" 17  282 

Christian  a  soldier 11  93 

Christian  intercourse 14  126 

Christian,  Manner  of  origin  of  16  159 

Christian,  Marks  of  the  true..  15  32 

Christian,  Object  of  creation  of  16  164 

Christian,  Privileges  of 11  50 

Christian,  Sad  state  of  unfruit- 
ful   11  160 

Christian,      Satan's      devices 

against 13  390 

Christian,  The  humble 13  384 

Christian,     The,    is     Christ's 

workmanship 16  150 

Christian's  attitude  toward  God  18  157 

Christian's  enjoyments 11  37 

Christian's  exaltation 15  84 

Christian's  •  experience     con- 
formed to  Christ's 11  113 

Christian's  need  of  the   Holy 

Spirit 11  256 

Christian's  origin  in  God 16  157 

Christian's  pleasures.- 11  24 

Christian's  power  in  Heaven..  18  85 


Volume  Page 

Christian's  prayer,  The 5  157 

Christian's  progress.  The 10  215 

Christian's  safety 11  32 

Christians  are  children.of  God.  16  224 
Christians  disti  nguishable  from 

others il  26 

Christians,God's  preparation  of  16  167 

Christians  in  Christ 14'  282 

Christians  like  Christ 1  253 

Christians  not  responsible  for 

sinners'  rejection  of  Christ  19  365 

Christians,  Weak 7  17 

Christians,  when  liable  to  sleep    1  355 

Christians  without  comfort...    5  204 
Christians  separated  from  the 

worid 11  23 

Christianity,  Practical 14  228 

Christmas  sermon 5  389 

Chrvsostom 7  204 

Church  a  blessing.  The 1  136 

Church  a  building,  The 6  444 

Church,  Additions  to  the 10  48 

Church,  Admission  into,  does 

not  save 11  45 

Church,    a    glorious    temple. 

The 6  450 

Church  a  habitation,  The 6  445 

Church,  A  Holy  Ghost 10  60 

Church    and     ritualism,    The 

eariy 10  51 

Church  and  State,  The 10  109 

Church,  Christ's  care  of 17  320 

Church,  Christ  sees  faults  of..  17  323 
Church.  Christ  prescribing  for 

faults  of  the 17  331 

Church  described  by  God 15  373 

Church,  Destructive  power  of  14  88 

Church  dwelling  in  srardens...  14  119 

Churches.   Apostolic 1  337 

Church  enterprise.  Enlarging.  13  43 

Church,  How  to  enter  the 11  42 

Church.  Joining  the.  urged...  15  378 
Church  needs  to  repent.  The..  17  333 
Church  not  entered  by  birth- 
right  11  43 

Church  of  Ciirist.  The 1  134 

Church  of  Englandism 8  26 

Church   tempted    to  compro- 
mise  19  357 

Church,  The  conspicuous 6  219 

Church,  The,  following  Christ  18  70 

Church,  The  prayer  of  the 6  26 

Church,  The,  unhurt  by  scoffs.  14  372 

Church.  The  willing 6  227 

Church.  The  wonderful  future 

of  the 5  28 

Church  to  be  a  blessing.  The..    1  147 

Church.  Trials  of  the 8  138 

Church,  Union  with  the 7  167 

Church  venerable,  The 6  220 

Circumstances   an  excuse  for 

rejecting  Christ 12  c05 

Come  and  welcome 7  344 

Comforter,  The 1  66 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


397 


Volume 
Comfort   from    Christ's    con- 
quests  11 

Comfort,  Heavenly,  promised.  12 

Comfort,  Means  of.. ._    5 

Comfort  proclaimed 5 

Comfort,  Wise  methods  of 18 

Coming  of  Christ  a  motive  to 

holiness 17 

Comini,' to  Jesus 12 

Comin<^  to  Jesus..,. 18 

Commandment,   The  first  and 

great 4 

Commandments,  Ten,  broken.  9 
Commandments  broken,  The.  10 

Communiou  with  God 9 

Companions  bind  to  sin 16 

Companions,  Evil 12 

Concealment,  A  gracious 2 

Concentration,  Necessity  for..  19 

Condemnation 12 

Condemnation,    The    believer 

free  from 17 

Condescension  of  God 14 

Conduct,    A     man's,     comes 

home 10 

Conduct  shows  faith 15 

Confessing  Christ 12 

Confessing  Christ 13 

Confessing  Christ  always 11 

Confessing  Christ  encouraged.  15 

Confession  and  absolution 5 

Confession  of  faith  a  duty 15 

Confession  of  faith,  Public 19 

Confession  of  Joseph  of  Ari- 

mathea 15 

Confession  of  sin 5 

Confession  of  sin... 15 

Confidence  in  God  illustrated.  14 

Confidence,  Paul's 7 

Confidence  toward  God 16 

Confidence  urged 15 

Confirmation  unauthorized...    8 

Conformity  to  the  world. 19 

Conscience 4 

Conscience  a  barrier    against 

sin 5 

Conscience,  an  approving 16 

Con^^cience  not  God's  vicege- 
rent   10 

Conscience   not   the   supreme 

court 16 

Conscience  should  be  respected  13 
Conscience,  The  trial  in  the...  16 
Consecrated  man,  Danger  of 

the 5 

Consecrated  man.  Strength  of.    5 

Consecrating  all  to  God 13 

Consecration     and      spiritual 

power 18 

Consecration,  Early  and  entire  13 
Consecration,    God's   grace   a 

motive  to 16 

Consecration,  how  broken 5 

Consecration,  The  privilege  of.    5 


Page 

190 
148 
209 
197 
303 

280 
108 
346 

301 
162 
129 
140 

87 
301 

212 


277 


203 

298 
219 
60 
176 
126 
147 
297 
140 

135 

149 

349 

347 

91 

238 

92 

68 

359 

200 

189 
2;i3 

128 

232 

402 
224 

240 

239 

65 

42 
395 

77 
248 
243 


Volume  Page 

Consolation  of  Israel 4  104 

Continuance  with  Je&us  pos- 
sible  9  54 

Consulting  God  illustrated 16  316 

Contempt  for  Chri!^t 12  204 

Conversation,  Influence  of 12  86 

Conversion.. 19  26 

Conversion,  An  old-fashioned.  10  147 

Conversion,  Instantaneous 7  231 

Conversion,  Instantaneous 9  240 

Conversion,  Mr.  Spurgeons..  10  393 
Conversion,  The  modus  oper- 
andi always  the  same 10  152 

Conversions,  Extraordinary...    7  236 
Converfs  fight  with  the  "old 

man" 16  135 

Convicted  sinner's  alternative.  13  103 
Conviction  of  sin  and  repen- 
tance   15  348 

Conviction  precedes  covering 

of  sin :  12  196 

Counselor 4  106 

"Counselor,"  The 5  31 

Counselor  to  us 5  45 

Counselor  with  God,  A 5  32 

Covenant,  Christ  is  the 2  3j5 

Covenant,  God  mindful  of 6  238 

Covenant  of  Grace,  its  power.  18  224 

Covenant,  The 9  17'2 

Covenant,  The  blood  of  the...    7  212 

Covenant,  The  eternal  surety  of    4  97 

Covenant,  The  everlasting 7  220 

Covenant,  The  scope  of  the...    6  243 
Covenant,  Those  interested  in 

the 9  174 

"Covet,  Thou  Shalt  not" 10  138 

Covetousness 6  127 

Crimean  soldiers 2  18 

Cripple  at  Lystra,  The 8  241 

Criticism,  Independence  of...  11  282 

Crosses  no  curses 8  115 

Cross,  Life  at  the  foot  of  the..  16  192 

Cross,  Taking  up  one's 13  66 

Cross,  The,   meeting-place    of 

Christ  and  the  sinner 15  351 

Cup,  The,  symbol  of  Christ's 

death 18  214 

Curse  removed.  The. 3  280 

Darkness  at  Calvary,  Symbol- 
ism of 17  105 

Darkness  at  Calvary,  what  it 

concealed 17  100 

Darkness  at  noon... 17  92 

Darkness,  Times  of 9  177 

David  fighting  Goliath  a  tvpe 

of  Christ. -"-..  11  247 

David  an  example  fur  Chris- 
tians..  11  258 

Dead,  Living   must  carry  on 

work  of." 16  3C5 

Dead   Khali   live   when  Jesus 

cornea 15  192 


398 


IXDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Volume 
Dead,  The,  are  alive  with  the 

Lord.... 15 

Death 9 

Death,  Advantage  of  consider- 
ing   15 

Death  appointed  according  to 

God"8  purpose 18 

Death  a  rea)  blessing 18 

Death,  A  sudden 15 

Death  as  viewed  by   believer 

and  unbeliever.. _ 15 

Death-bed  repentance 13 

Death  certain  without  Christ..  18 
Death  comes  to  all  impartially.  15 

Death  comes  to  the  godly 16 

Death  common  to  all.. _  18 

Death  conquered  by  Christ 11 

Death  explained  by  unity  of 

God's  family _  17 

Death,  Fear  of  _. 7 

Death  God's  message 12 

Death,  God  gives  victory  over_  13 
Death  instructive,  The  thought 

of.. 17 

Death    neither    dreaded    nor 

sought.. 17 

Death  never  occurs  unknown 

to  God-. 17 

Death  of  Jesus 18 

Death  of  Jesus,  Lesson  from 

the 18 

Death  of  the  Son  of  God 17 

Death  of  the  unbeliever 13 

Death,  Personal  knowledge  as 

to 17 

Death,  (^uiet  expectation  of.._  17 

Death,  Remember 7 

Death  shall  not  come  to  all  the 

race 15 

Death,  Sudden... 7 

Death  the  beginning  of  life 15 

Death,  The  results  of _    7 

Death,  The  second 7 

Death,  The  terrors  of.. _    7 

Death,  The  warninss  of. _    7 

Death,  Thinking  about 17 

Death  to  be  thought  of  by  the 

young 17 

Death,  Why  it  comes  to  useful 

men 17 

Deception  abhorred  of  God 8 

Deceptively  submissive,  The._    9 
Dedication  to  God  all-impor- 
tant   13 

Defection  from  Christ,  Causes 

of „  12 

Deliverance  proclaimed 4 

Deliverance  will  come 19 

Delusion  of    falsely    thinking 

oneself  in  Christ 13 

Denying  the  faith 19 

Deserting    Christ,    its    conse- 
quences  12 

Desertion 2 


Page 

194 

265 

54 

176 
181 
51 

70 
323 
23 
52 
345 
166 
184 


31 
416 


315 


115 

97 

87 

302 
310 
126 

193 
334 
69 
132 
369 
131 
133 
297 

301 

72 

185 
200 

60 

293 
236 
227 

321 
41 

311 

20 


Volume  Page 

Desiring  salvation 14  261 

Despair,  The  repentance  of-__    3  250 

Despising  God's  mercy 14  107 

Despondency  to  be  abandoned  12  76 
Destitution,  Extremity  of  hu- 
man  10  97 

Destroyers  of  souls  themselves 

destroyed 13  417 

Determined  seeking  for  salva- 
tion   19  103 

Deterioration,  Tendency  of  all 

things  toward 15  359 

Devil's  defeat,  The 2  308 

Devotion,  Ardent 9  336 

Difficulties  of  Christian  life...  11  211 

Diffidence,  The  wisdom  of 13  219 

Diligence  in  spiritual  things..  12  23 
Diligence  makes  a  life  attrac- 
tive  15  10 

Disappointment 2  22 

Discipline  desirable  in  a  Chris- 
tian  11  284 

Discontent 17  31 

Discoverers  of  Christ 17  194 

Discovery  of  Christ,  how  made  17  197 

Diseases,  God  sends 10  81 

Disgrace,  The  Christian's 5  249 

Disobedient,  The  avowedly 9  189 

Distrust  of  self  illustrated 12  315 

Divine  interposition  for  salva- 
tion  14  365 

Doctrine,  Absence  of  sound-. -    3  85 
Doctrine  of  Christ  displeases 

many 12  294 

Doctrines  of  the  gospel 8  245 

Doctrme,  Unsound,    leads   to 

desertion  of  Christ 12  307 

Doing  floes  not  precede  faith..  12  22 

Dogs,  The  little _  10  360 

Door  in  art 4  11 

Door,  The  closed 14  208 

Double-minded  man,  The 3  244 

Doubter.  The,  comforted 11  231 

Doubts  and  fears 7  37 

Drawings  of  the  Lord 17  262 

Drelincourt  on  death 7  127 

Duties 17  138 

Duty,  Faithful  to  the  post  of..  17  250 

Duty  in  the  midst  of  darkness.  18  358 

Dwelling  place 2  8 

Dwelling  place,  Heavenly 14  148 

Dying  hour,  The 17  167 


Early    converts    and     church 
members 10 

Earth  not  everlasting,  The 17 

Effectual  grace 9 

Egypt  and  Israel 7 

Election 2 

Election 8 

Election,  Absolute 2 

Election  as  an  obstacle 2 

Election  a  source  of  comfort..    8 


52 

50 

216 


304 
76 

298 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


399 


iolume  Page 

Election  a  ponrce  of  joy 1  52 

Ek'ctioii  a  ^trip[)ing  doctrine—    2  83 

Election,   Elcinal 2  78 

Election  in  ttie  case  of  Onesi- 

nms 10  304 

Eleciion  no  discouragement. __    8  222 

Election,  Particular 3  343 

Election,  Personal 2  7'J 

Election,  Prayer  a  proof  of 1  184 

Elijah  only 9  426 

Emer^^ency  men,  God's 15  118 

Emotions  and  the  cross 2  335 

Empty,    All   stand   go   before 

Christ,  illustration 12  259 

End,  Endure  to  the 8  150 

Enemies  of  the  soul 13  205 

Enmity  against  God 1  2>50 

}<  nvy  an  arciier 1  190 

Ephesus,  The  Church  of 5  164 

Errinji  saints,  A  rebuke  for.._  8  59 
Established  church,  a  spiritual 

tyranny.  An 10  110 

Estate,  Sin  against  one's 2  243 

Esther,  why  made  Queen 5  249 

Eternity,    Projecting    oneself 

into 17  318 

Eternity,  We  are  hastening  to.  15  60 

Evans,  Rev.  Christmas 5  347 

Evening  of  life  clouded,  The__  10  82 

Evening  time  of  Christ 4  276 

Everlasting,  Love  of  God  is...  12  279 

Everybody's  sermon 5  112 

Evidences  of  God's  drawing..  12  282 

Evidence  sufficient 19  86 

Evil  and  its  remedies.  The 5  222 

Exaltation  of  Christ 17  363 

Exaltation  of  Christ  a  comfort, 

The 2  138 

Excitement,  Religious 7  16 

Excuses,  Frivolous.. 4  247 

Excuses  of  sinners.  The 4  227 

Excuse,  Without 19  208 

Exhortation  to  sinners.. 12  139 

Expectation  of  salvation,  Ex- 
hortation to 17  238 

Experience  a  master  doctor...  10  44 

Experience,  Christian 6  172 

Experience,  Personal 3  392 

Experience  sometimes  a  snare.  19  375 

Experience,  Testifying  from..  16  199 

Expiation... 8  96 

External  evidence  of  religious 

truth 14  270 

Extremity,    God   provides    in 

time  of 15  319 

Eyes,  Using  one's IGj    103 

Facts  of  the  gospel,  The 8  244 

Faith 3  256 

Faith 6  328 

Faith  alwavs  successful 11  218 

Faith,  Analysis  of  Luther's...  14  348 

Faith  and  pleasing  God 1  304 


Volume  Page 

Faith  and  prayer 7  145 

Faith,  An  illustration  of 3  104 

Faith  confirmed  by  the  seasons  17  65 
Faith,     Christ     acknowledges 

little.. ...  16  259 

Faith,  Deliverance  of  litMe 16  262 

Faith,  Ellects  of  exercising...  19  272 
Faith,  Endeavor  after  growth 

in 16  283 

Faith.  Estimate  of  little 10  249 

Faith,  Growth  in 16  277 

Faith,  How  to  exercise 19  269 

Faith,  How  to  hold  fast 19  43 

Faith  illustrated 7  79 

Faith  illustrated 11  145 

Faith  illustrated 13  176 

Faith  illustrated 13  177 

Faith,  its  grandeur 7  81 

Faith,  Justified  by 7  279 

Faith,  Little 16  246 

Faith.  Little 7  36 

Faith,  Luther's 14  348 

Faith  made  inanifest  in  the  life 

of  Jesus 19  213 

Faith  more  than  belief 14  336 

Faith  never  disputes  with  God  10  367 
Faith  not  understood  by  the 

world 15  301 

Faith  not  works 1  374 

Faith,  No  luiion  with  Christ 

without 1  376 

Faith  of  the  Fathers,  The 7  150 

Faith.  Practical 19  218 

Faith,  Rahab's 3  269 

Faith,  Rebuke  of  little 16  265 

Faith's  reward 19  31 

Faith,  Saving 8  248 

Faith  speaks  as  a  prophet 15  316 

Faith  the  centre  of  the  Chris- 
tian graces 16  290 

Faith.  The  Conflagration  of.._  16  387 

Faith,  The  diseases  of 7  152 

Faith,  The  flame  of 16  382 

Faith,  The  ground  of 7  266 

Faith,  The  growing  fire  of 16  379 

Faith,  The  justification  of 7  87 

Faith,  The  leisure  of 16  385 

Faith,  The  leper's 19  19 

Faith,  The  marks  of 7  141 

Faith,  The  obedience  of_ 7  156 

Faith,  The  object  of 7  261 

Faith  the  onlv  channel  of  life..  15  198 

Faith,  The  reason  of 7  264 

Faith,  The  result  of 7  273 

Faith  the  secret  of  success 11  127 

Faith,  Tlie  spark  of 16  371 

Faith,  The  stages  of 7  142 

Faith  the  stooping  grace 1  373 

Faith,  The  victorv  of 1  289 

Faith,  The  warrant  of 7  269 

Faith  the  way  of  salvation 14  339 

Faith,  Union  with  Christ  by..    3  266 

Faith,  what  it  is 7  31 

Faith  will  be  finally  justified..  15  311 


400 


IXDEX   OF    SUBJECTS. 


Yohnne  Page 

Faith  will  be  mocked  at 15  306 

Faith  wins  her  suit 10  376 

Faith  working  through  love—  14  342 

Fabehood 8  821 

Falsehoods  of  Satan 2  302 

Familv,  Happiness  of  a  Chris- 
tian  .-_  16  390 

Farmer,  The 5  123 

Fatherhood  of  God  and  death 

of  the  saints 17  72 

Fatherhood  of  God  and  prayer, 

The 5  108 

Fatherhood  of  God,  The 5  96 

Father's  liout^e.  The 9  287 

Faults  cured  by  more  of  Jesus_  15  189 

Fear  as  a  motive  used  by  God_  17  251 

Fear  dishonors  God 4  361 

Fear  excluded 7  290 

Fear  not-_. 4  350 

Fear  of  man 18  387 

Fear  of  man,  Warning  against  15  121 

Fear  of  sin 13  330 

Feast  of  the  Lord,  The —     5  289 

Fed  by  Christ 15  222 

Feelings  a  false  ground  of  sal- 
vation  12  213 

Felix  trembling 4  199 

Fellowship  with  Christ 12  222 

Fellowship  with  Christ  invited  14  131 

Fenelon 9  63 

Fickleness  of  man 18  381 

Fight  evil,  Incentive  to. 11  192 

Fire,  The  barley  field  on. 8  112 

'•First  love" 5  166 

First  love,  Declension  from...    5  164 

First  love  restored.. 5  175 

Fletcher  quoted.. 9  152 

Following  Christ 13  68 

Food,  Demand  and  supply  of 

spiritual 17  117 

Food,  Spiritual,  to  be  sought..  17  131 
Food,  Whv  spiritual  food  satis- 
fies,.:   17  125 

Forbearance  of  God 14  103 

Forbidden  possessions  exclude 

from  Christ 13  319 

Foreknowledge  of  sin,  God's__  13  29 

Forethought  in  labor  for  souls    9  462 
Foundation,  Why  build  aright 

the 14  47 

Forgiveness  craved 13  143 

Forgiveness,  The  privileges  of    7  75 
Forgiveness,  why  a   state   of 

blessedness 12  239 

Form  and  spirit  of  rel igion ,  The    5  353 
Form    of    religion    important, 

The 5  355 

Fox,  George 3  34 

Free  agency  and  God's  fore- 
knowledge  13  30 

Free  grace 3  393 

Freeness  of  gospel,  The 10  87 

Free  salvation,  God's  offer  of.  14  264 

Friend,  A  Faithful 3  11 


Volume  Page 

Friends  of  Jesus,  Special 16  10 

Friend,  The  sinner's 8  206 

Fruitfuluess  a  source  of  com- 
fort   12  152 

Frait  bearing 7  299 

Fruits  meet  for  repentance 7  41 

Fulness  of  Christ  for  all  saints  12  230 
Future,  Christian's,  assured  by 

the  past 11  130 

Future  heavenly  estate.  Faith 

in 11  209 

Future,    Man's    ignorance    of 

the 15  55 


"  Gadding  about,"  The  sin  of..    9 
Gains  through  Christ    exceed 

losses  through 19 

Gate,  Outside  the 13 

Gently  or  not  gently 4 

Gethsemane 18 

Giant-killer,  The 10 

Gifts  to  Christ 19 

Glorified  in  heaven,  The  state 

of  the 8 

Glory,  A  view  of  God's 2 

Glory  of  the  saints,  what  it  is.  14 
Glorv  reserved  for  ( Jod's  people  14 

Glory,  Saints  called  to 14 

God  alone  tits  men  for  Heaven, 

illustration 12 

God  cannot  do.  What 8 

God's  claim 4 

God's  eye  upon  the  sinner 9 

God,  Far  from 4 

God  gathering  His  people 18 

God  glorified 9 

God  greater  than  man 18 

God  great  in  power 3 

God,  Greatness  of 12 

God,  how  we  can  exalt  Him...  16 

God  in  Christ 14 

God  independent  of  man 15 

God  is  repose  to  the  godly 16 

God  is  security  to  the  godly...  16 
God  is  the  resort  of  the  godly.  16 

God  is  with  us 8 

Godly,  Felicity  of  the... 15 

Godlv,  Relationship  to  God  of 

the 16 

Godly,  Security  of  the 15 

Godly,  The,  are  those  whom 

He  hears 16 

Godly,  The,  need  to  be  prayed 

for 17 

Godly,  Those  who  do  not  pro- 
fess to  be 9 

God,  Meditation  on ._    4 

God,  Messages  from 12 

God,  Misrepresenting  charac- 
ter of 15 

God,  My 10 

God,  My 16 

God,  Proving 4 


51 
316 
225 

92 
262 
162 

2S5 
204 
192 
179 
185 

370 
316 
310 
213 
147 

58 
472 
389 
317 
129 
415 

67 


305 
305 
355 
47 

349 
40 

53 


193 
39 


161 
343 
33 
21 


IXDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


401 


Volume  Page 
God,  Sad  estate  of  those  with- 
out   11  206 

God  slow  to  ani,'er 3  3)1 

God,  Sovoieigntyof 11  225 

God  takes  no  pleat>ure  in  death 

of  wicked 15  169 

God  the  all-seciii<r  One 4  161 

God,  the  ChuiTh'i^  leadt-r 14  83 

God,  the  comforter  of  His  peo- 
ple   12  151 

"  God,"  The  meaning  of  the 

word 10  3o5 

God.  The  perfection  of 7  253 

God  the  source  of  love 14  56 

God  the  source  of  strengtli 14  84 

God  visiting  Ilis  church 12  1G2 

God,  Will  a  man  rob 10  76 

God  will  do  without  the  wicked  15  81 

God  worthy  of  martyrs 13  407 

God  worthy  of  our  love  and  life  13  408 

God's  ability  ro  deliver 13  410 

God's  children  walking  in  dark- 
ness    18  351 

God's  existence  an  argument 

for  His  hearing  His  people  16  41 

God's  future  achievements 16  409 

God's    goodness    designed    to 

lead  to  repentance 14  112 

God's  goodness  to  the  impeni- 
tent  14  99 

God's  instruments  insignificant    6  20 
God's  invitation  «ppreciated..  19  181 
God's  jealous  care  for  His  peo- 
ple   14  371 

God's  longing  for  the  salvation 

of  sinners 15  165 

God's  love  for  sinners 14  62 

God's  love  manifested  in  death 

of  Christ 14  65 

God's  nearness  in  daily  occur- 
rences illu.-trated 18  257 

God's  nearness  to  His  people..  15  145 

God's  nearness  to  His  peopie..  18  271 
God's  nt-arnees  to  those  who 

feel  after  Him 18  264 

God's  pleasure  when  the  sinner 

turns 15  176 

God's  presence.  How  to  secure  14  92 
God's  presence    necessary    to 

His  church 14  81 

God's  presence  removed 15  141 

God's  presence  will   be  more 

fully  revealed 15  156 

God's  presence,  The  dark  side 

of 15  158 

God's  presence  wisely  revealed  15  149 
God's  presence  with  the  up- 
right   15  140 

God's     thoughts    toward    His 

people 18  145 

God's  thoughts  unchangeable.  18  148 
God's  sovereignty,  man's  free 

agency 18  109 

Good  man,  who  he  is 10  219 


Volume  Page 

Good  news 6  75 

Good  Shepherd,  The  provision 

of  the 4  86 

Gospel  a  power.  The 1  104 

Gospel  a  mystery 14  161 

Gospel  difhcult  to  understand. 

The  f  reeness  of  the 10  91 

Gospel   hardened,   Conversion 

of  the 13  358 

Gospel  message.  How  to  treat.  12  44 
Gospel   message    proclaims  a 

life,  The__"_ 19  245 

Gospel  ministry  definite 12  49 

Gospel,  Obedience  to  the 12  79 

Gospe],Preacher's  treatment  of  12  44 
Gospel  principles  combated  by 

the  Christian 16  135 

Gospel  rejected.  The 1  89 

Gospel,    The,    a    message    of 

peace 12  133 

Gospel,  The,  applied  to  oneself  12  42 

Gospel,  The,  God's  message...  12  35 

Gospel,  The,  pasturage 11  57 

Gospel,  The   sin   of  rejecting 

the 5  425 

Gospelthewisdomof  God,  The  3  378 
Gospel  to  be  delivered  in  en- 
tirety. The 19  249 

Grace  always  to  be  expected, 

More 17  246 

Grace,  Distinguishing 6  78 

Grace,  Dying 7  39 

Grace,  Feelings  no  measure  of    6  324 

Grace  for  grace 12  263 

Grace,  Growth  in 6  319 

Grace  in  Christ  produces  grace 

in  us,  illustration 12  268 

Grace  of  God  in  case  of  Onesi- 

mus,  The 10  304 

Grace  of  Jesus,  The  kind 4  1)4 

Grace,  Plenitude  of 4  •i2 

Grace,  Proportionate 5  58 

Grace,  The  treasures  of 7  62 

Grace,  Superabundance  of 16  119 

Grace  toward  men  rather  than 

angels 16  71 

Gratitude.  Wondering 10  34 

Greek,  Specimens  of 1  91 

"Grit" 7  57 

Guyon,  Madame 9  63 

Ground,  The  enchanted 1  344 

Growth  in  knowledge 6  326 

Guidance 9  111 


Habitation,  The  glorious 2  2 

Habits,  Bondage  of  evil 16  89 

Harvestmen   wanted 10  167 

Harvests  of  joy.  The  three 2  232 

Harvests  of  sorrow.  The  three.    2  234 

Harvest  time 2  232 

••Healer."  Christ  the 10  386 

Healing  for  the  wounded 2  18 

Hear  Christ,  How  to 13  246 


402 


IXDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Volume  Page 

"  Hear  Him  " 14  285 

Heard  of  God 14  285 

Hearer  in  trouble.  The 8  83 

Hearer,  The  occasional 8  81 

Hearing,  Faith  comes  by 8  243 

Hearing  the  gospel  aright 12  41 

Hear.  Those  who  will  not 14  31 

Heart,  Hardness  of 7  33 

Heart's  devices 4  172 

Hearts,  Searching  of 4  170 

Hearts  of  Christians  prepared 

by  God 15  265 

Heart,  The  human 4  167 

Heart,  The  new 5  81 

Heart  turned  upside  down 5  415 

Heart,  Wickedness  of  human.  13  38 

Heathen,  The  trial  of  the 9  309 

Heaven  and  hell 1  293 

Heaven  a  place  of  rest 3  146 

Heaven  a  place  of  service 3  142 

Heaven  a  state  of  acceptance 

with  God 3  144 

Heaven,  Fitness  for 5  299 

Heaven  in  disguise,  A 8  79 

Heaven,  Longing  for 11  214 

Heaven  on  earth 15  207 

Heaven,  Preparation  f  or,ncces- 

sarv 12  360 

Heaven,  Right  way  to 11  217 

Heaven,  Prospect  of,  a  comfort 

in  trial 14  156 

Heaven's  provision  perfect 15  208 

Heaven,  The  attractions  of 9  222 

Heaven.  The  communion  of 3  147 

Heaven,  The  home  atmosphere 

of 17  86 

Heaven,  The  manifestation  of.    3  145 

Heaven,  The  rest  of 1  298 

Heaviness  and  rejoicing 5  2U 

Heir  of  salvation,  Mark  of 10  258 

Hell 1  313 

Hell  and  destruction 4  166 

Hell  pictured 13  95 

Help,  God  will  give  the  Chris- 
tian   13  215 

Helpless  Christian  must  look  to 

Christ 16  110 

Herbert,  A  song  of,  George 10  127 

Heritage  and  watchword.  The 

saints' 2  15-2 

Hesitating  Christian  aroused..  15  130 

High  priest,  A  spoi less 2  107 

Hill.  Mr.  Rowland 7  157 

Hindrances ^.  17  202 

Hindrance,  Give  up  vour 13  65 

Holy  Ghost,  The  ind\velling  of    1  58 

Holy  Ghost,  Personality  of  the    1  45 

Holv  Ghost,  The  power  of 1  112 

Holy  Spirit 9  291 

Holy  Spirit  and  apostolic  times    1  339 
Holy  Spirit  helps  Christian  sol- 
dier   13  218 

Holy  Spirit,  The,  seals  Chris- 
tian for  heaven 13  374 


Volu7ne 
Holv  Spirit,  The  inward  power 
of 1 

Holy  Spirit's  method,  The 6 

Holv  Spirit,  The  outpouring  of 
the 6 

Holy  Spirit,  The  power  of 6 

Holy     Spirit    quickeneth    the 
Word 6 

Holy    Spirit,     The    withering 

work  of  the 9 

Holy  Spirit,  The  work  of  the..  10 

Holy  Spirit's  work.  The 6 

Home 2 

Home  circle  first  to  be  saved..  16 

Home-going 3 

Home,~Proper  site  for  a 16 

Honor  involved  in  salvation, 

God's 2 

Hope  always n 

Hope,  Confidence  of  the  Chris- 
tian's   17 

Hope  for  the  vilest 5 

Hope  of  salvation  is  God's  gift, 

The . 11 

Hope,  No 11 

Hope  of  salvation,  false  and 

true 11 

Hope,    Result    of    the    Chris- 
tian's   17 

Hospitalities   of   the    God   of 

grace 8 

House  of  feasting.  The 2 

House  of  mourning,  The 2 

Houses  consecrated  to  God 10 

Houses,  Religion  in 1 

How  long  ? 3 

Human  nature,  The  tendency 

of 9 

Human  means  of  salvation  a 

costly  failure 19 

Human  nature  exalted  in  Christ  19 
Humanity  perfected  at  the  re- 
surrection   18 

Humble,  The,  exalted 13 

Humiliation  of  Christ 17 

Humility  before  God 14 

Humility  favorable  to  growth.  13 

Humility  iuaffiiction.J. 14 

Humility  in  church  life 14 

Humility  in    seeking   forgive- 
ness  . 14 

Humility  supplies   arguments 

for  prayer 15 

Humility  taught  by  mortality.  17 
Humilitv  the  strength  of  prayer  15 

Humility,  True 10 

Hunger  and  Christ 9 

Hypocrisy 6 

Hypocrites  in  the  church 15 

Hypocrite,  Silliness  of  tlie 11 

Hypocrites  to  be  laughed  at...    9 

Hypocrite,  The  "  Honest  " 7 

Idols,  Children  made 18 

Idols,  Must  give  up  your 13 


Page 

123 
34 

31 

28 

290 

362 
229 
186 

n 

11 


258 
245 


210 
93 


103 
109 


104 
225 


264 

182 


112 
152 

138 
378 
345 
324 
343 
320 
316 


110 
316 
103 

30 
146 
334 

30 
158 
193 
101 
384 

64 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


403 


Volume  Page 
Ignorant  professor  of  religion, 

illustrated 11  15-2 

Imitation  of  Christ 14  226 

Imitation  of  Christ,  Advantages 

of 14  228 

Imitation  of  Christ,  Encourage- 
ments to 14  241 

Imitators  of  Him 1  252 

Impenitent,  Final  awful  doom 

of 13  24 

Increase  of  church  by  crowds.  10  49 

Increase  of  church  gradual 10  49 

Incredulity 4  185 

Incurable,  An 10  3S2 

Indecision,  Absurdity  of 3  185 

Indecision,  The  ruin  wrought 

by —  13  264 

Independence  an  aid  to  holiness  13  341 
Infidelity,  Steadfastness  in  face 

of 11  212 

Infidels,  Great  sinfulness  of„_  10  210 

Influence 9  111 

Iniquity.  The  sight  of 6  423 

Inquirer,  The  anxious 3  90 

Instantaneous   conversion,   il- 
lustrated     9  241 

Insincere  man.  The 3  247 

Intercessor,  A  lesson  to  every_  10  378 

Intercessor,  The 4  105 

Interests     of     the    individual 

harmed  by  selfishness 15  78 

Invitation.  An  earnest 6  109 

Invitation  of  God  spurned 19  169 

Isaac  and  Ishmael 2  129 

Israel  in  Egvpt 3  419 

Itineracy,  The 1  336 

Jacob's  character  estimated.. _  15  95 

Jacob,  The  star  of 9  104 

Jansenius 9  63 

Jairus,  The  daughter  of 3  227 

Jerusalem,  Safety  of 9  97 

Jesus  as  a  Saviour 17  359 

Jesus  a  substitutionary  sacrifice  12  55 

Jesus  a  wonder 9  113 

Jesus  and  the  promises 4  293 

Jesus  a  power 9  432 

Jesus  as  master 9  431 

Jesus  at  Bethesda 9  225 

Jesus,  Beauty  of  glorifying...  16  17t» 

Jesus'  death  "a  ransom 12  57 

Jesus'  death  penal 11  139 

Jesus,  Glory  and  usefulness  of  11  141 

Jesus,  His  coming  voluntary..  12  52 

Jesus,  His  service  of  men 12  53 

Jesus,  Homage  to,  satisfying..  12  101 

Jesus,  Looking  to 5  253 

Jesus,  Looking  to  the  ascen- 
sion of ■_ 5  264 

Jesus,  Looking  to  the  death  of    5  257 
Jesus,  Looking  to  the  life  of__    5  254 
Jesus,  Looking  to  the  resurrec- 
tion of 5  262 


Volume  Page 

Jesus,  Mighty  works  of 11  181 

Jesus,  None  but 7  2.59 

Jesus,  None  but 7  276 

Jesus  no  phantom 9  476 

Jesus  only 9  419 

Jesus'   painful   and   shameful 

death 11  137 

Jesus  succoring  the  tempted  __  18  341 

Jesus  suffering 18  329 

Jesus,  Sufferings  of 11  136 

Jesus,  The  gracious  lips  of 4  92 

Jesus  the  herald  of  glory 9  114 

Jesus  the  helper  of  the  Chris- 
tian soldier 13  217 

Jesus,  The  power  of 9  469 

Jesus  the  Son  of  Man 12  50 

Jesus  very  man 10  15 

Jews,  Ingathering  of 12  67 

Jews,  Return  of,  under  Cyrus.  18  55 

Jews,  Specimens  of 1  93 

Job 3  252 

Job's  refuire  in  trouble 11  78 

John  the  Baptist 9  -364 

Joseph 1  192 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  the  se- 
cret disciple 15  117 

Joy,  a  large  part  of  a  Christian 

life 14  19 

Joy  comes  out  of  conflict 14  21 

Joy,  Duty  of  communicating..  14  25 

Joy  in  sorrow 5  217 

Joj'^lessness 7  39 

Joy,  Object  of  Christian's 17  152 

Joyful  Christian  an  encourage- 
ment to  his  brethren. 17  157 

Jovs,    Old,    entice    Christians 

-  from  Christ 15  13 

Judas 3  250 

Judge,  Christ  the 4  1U7 

"Judge  not" 13  46 

Judgment,  Christians  spared  at  13  20 
Judgment  day  means  woe  to 

unbehevers 13  92 

Judgment,  The  account  at 4  139 

Judements  of  God  fathomless, 

The 9  131 

Judson,  Dr.  Adoniram 5  305 

Just,  The  resurrection  of  the..    2  265 

Justiceof  God 18  171 

Justification,  The  blessedness 

of_ 4  67 

Justification  by  grace 3  2f'5 

Justification,  Characteristics  of    3  303 
Justification,    Other   blessings 

go  with 4  65 

Justification,  The  manner  of 

giving 3  305 

Justifications,  Instantaneous..    4  63 

Justification  irreversible 4  63 

Justice 3  359 


King  Asa.  A  lesson  from  the 
life  of 10 


404 


INDEX  OF   SUBJECTS. 


Volmne  Page 

King's  highway  opened,  The..    7  28 

Knocking 14  211 

Knowledge,  Danger  of 19  374 

Knowledge  of  Christ,  A  partial  10  3S3 

Knowledge.  Thirst  for 13  147 

Knowledge  without  faith 1  869 

Labor  and  revival 7  232 

Labor  for  Christ 4  355 

Labor  in  vain 8  335 

Lack  of  the  one  thing  reedfuL  13  59 
Lainb  of  God  the  provider  for 

saints 15  217 

Lamb,  The  spotless 5  306 

Lamb  the  light,  The _    8  278 

Latter-day  glories,  A  vision  of.    6  216 

Law  satisfied  by  Christ,  The..  1  290 
Law,  Sin  not  encouraged  by 

the.... 13  72 

Law,  The  curse  of 2  821 

Law,  The  demands  of  the 1  287 

Lazarus 3  228 

Laziness  leads  to  desertion  of 

Christ 12  309 

Leaves,  Nothing  but 8  168 

Led  by  Christ 15  224 

Leper,  The  cleansing  of  the...  7  311 
Levity  leads    to    desertion  of 

Christ 12  299 

Liberalitv  taught  by  clouds...  11  236 

Liberator,  The  great 8  187 

Liberty,  False 8  196 

Liberty  forever 8  203 

Liberty  of  self-righteousness. 

The 8  198 

Liberty,  Professional 8  197 

Libertv  within  grasp 8  202 

Lie,  God  cannot 8  316 

Life,  A  review  of 4  '^58 

Life,  Foretaste  of  heavenly...    3  138 

Life  in  the  wilderness 2  3 

Life  is  a  battle 13  802 

Life  like  a  ferry-boat 13  20 

Life  like  a  vapor 15  Gl 

Life  of  gaiety,  A 7  129 

Life  of  the  Christian  is  ever- 
lasting   15  202 

Life  of  the  godly  everlasting..  16  354 
Life  of  the  Christian  is  Christ, 

The 15  196 

Life  of  the  godly  in  the  future  16  360 

Life's  brevity  and  fruitiulness.  15  66 

Life's  frailty 15  63 

Life's  uncertainty  should  lead 

to  decision 15  65 

Life  through  faith  in  Christ...  15  198 

Life,  Uncertainty  and  frailty  of  15  58 

Light  at  evening  time 4  275 

Light  out  of  darkness 16  32 

Lion-slaver,  The 10  262 

"Little  Faith" 5  129 

Little  ones.  Salvation  of  the...    2  259 

Living  for  self 5  248 


Volume  Page 

"  Loaves  and  fishes,"  The 9  143 

"  Look  "  for  salvation 1  13 

Look  of  Christ,  The 19  2^8 

"  Lord  of  all  " 9  414 

Lord's  dealings.  Memory  of  the  10  265 

Lord's  Supper,  Comfort  at  the.  11  193 
Lord  s  Supper,  Frequency  of 

the 18  218 

Lord,  Thus  saith  the 8  55 

Losses 8  121 

"Lost" 6  101 

Lost  estate  of  sinners  partly 

realized 13  161 

Lost  found.  The 4  123 

Lost  sheep.  Time  of  finding...  4  111 
Lost    sinner    the    burden    of 

Christ  s  love 15  240 

Lost  soul's  proneness  to  seek 

wrong  saviours 13  165 

Lost,  The,  the  sole  object  of 

Christ  seeking 15  236 

Lost,    The,     the     subject    of 

Christ's  thoughts 15  230 

Lot  an  example  of  lingering...  13  2c0 

Love 5  319 

Love  for  Christ.  Beauty  of 16  182 

Love    in    Christ's    look    upon 

Peter 19  291 

Love,  its  infinite  spring 14  56 

Lovely,  Altogether .' 7  323 

Love,   Obedient 10  41 

Love  of  David,  The 10  39 

Love  of  gain 12  295 

Love  of  God  for  His  people...  12  272 

Love  of  God  is  everlasting 12  279 

Love  of  God,  Meditations  on 

the 17  269 

Love,  Remembering  first 17  331 

Love,  Perfecting ^" 9  319 

Love's  commendation 2  410 

Love's  logic 9  304 

Love  the  Christian's  mark 14  53 

Love  the  magnet  of  tlie  gospel  17  252 

"Lovest  thou  me?" 10  322 

Love,  The  parentage  of  true. __    5  321 

Love,  The  measure  of  our 4  308 

Love  the  motive  to  service 12  285 

Love,  The  revival  of 9  316 

Love,  The  root  of 9  307 

Love,  The  Saviour  resting  in  his    6  297 

Love  to  Christ  indispensable..  10  333 

Love-token,  The  sacred 10  243 

Love  to  the  brethren 14  69 

Love,  The  walk  of 5  320 

Loving  kindness  of  the  Lord..  17  265 

Luther 14  334 

'•  Made  whole,"  A  man 10  391 

Magdalene,  The  manifestation 

to 6  412 

Man  an  idolator 18  372 

Man  at  enmity  with  God 12  125 

Manasseh 3  311 

Manasseh  an  unbeliever 3  818 

Manasseh  as  a  convert 3  32^ 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


405 


Volume  Page 
Manifestation  of  God's  person- 
al love 12  281 

Man  made  an  idol  of 18  385 

Man's  sin,  The  barriers  against    5  181 

Man's  weakness 18  378 

Manih 9  383 

Marriage  a  blessing  of  Eden._  10  17 

Marrow  and  fatness 10  28 

Master.  Men  think  God  a  hard  10  90 

Matchless  mystery,  The 10  9 

Material  man  linked  to  God...  19  158 

Means,  Persevering  nse  of 19  109 

Meditation  a   proiitable   exer- 
cise  ._    4  40 

Meditation,  Importance  of 9  328 

Meditation  sweet 4  52 

Meek  and  lowly  One,  The 6  307 

Meeting  with  God 15  337 

Memorj'  of  Gods  dealings  with 

us 10  2G4 

Men,   Apostolic 1  323 

;Men  but  men  at  the  best 10  71 

Men  called  to  be  Christ's  min- 
isters    19  235 

Men  in  all  time  alike 10  148 

Men  of  might  come  to  Christ.  11  284 

Mental  trouble,  Refuge  in 11  80 

Mercies,  Kcdeeming 18  249 

Mercy 3  359 

Mercy  of  God  humbling,  The.  10  33 

Mercj%  Sovereign 1 1  148 

]\Iercy  seat,  The 12  81 

Merit  a  teaching  of  all  human 

religions 10  93 

Message,  The 19  245 

Message,  The  minister's 8  57 

Messengers,  God's 12  33 

:Mightv  acts.  Story  of  the 6  13 

Misrhty  God,  The  name  of  the.    6  142 

"  Mighty  to  save,"  proven 3  409 

"Mighty  to  save,"' what  then.    3  416 

Millennial  period.  The 8  280 

Mind,  Christian  must  guard  his  11  96 

Ministering  angels 5  200 

Minister's  authority.  The 8  58 

Ministers  entitled  to   mainte- 
nance   13  201 

Ministers,  God's  messengers..  12  34 

Ministers,  Thorns  to 6  295 

Ministers  to  be  praved  for 10  179 

Ministry,  A  Holy  Ghost 10  58 

Miracle,  A  double 9  471 

Miracles 17  94 

Miracles  of  Jesus 19  131 

IVIiracles,  The  necessity  of 6  186 

Missions,  Gospel 1  321 

Mockings,  Cruel 15  292 

Modesty  in  telling  experience.  14  27 

Monster  dragsjed  to  light.  The.  10  127 

Moral  heroism  of  Daniel 13  391 

Moralityasan  enemy  of  the  eoul  13  169 

Moral  man  addressed  by  gospel  13  51 

Moral  man's  case  described. ._  13  52 

Moses,  Death  of 18  166 


Volume  Page 

Moses,  Story  of  his  death 18     185 

Moses,  The  grave  of 4  163 

Moses  only 9  42;i 

Alo.'^es,  The  prayer  of 2  2()6 

Moses,  The  song  of 3  425 

Moses,  The  triumph  of 3  422 

Mothers,  A  lesson  to 10  378 

Mothers,  God's  messengers 12  33 

Mouth  of  faith  cannot  be  closed. 

The 10  362 

Multitudes  destitute  of  gospel.  10  170 

Myrrh.  A  bundle  of 8  2:)9 

Murmuring 9  389 


Name  of  Jesus,  The 19  45 

Name  of  Jesus,  The  practical 

use  of 19  49 

Name    of    Jesus,    Why    hold 

fast  to 19  52 

Name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 14  218 

Name,  The  eternal 1  154 

Nathanael 19  79 

Nature's  sympathy  with  Christ  17  109 

Navarre,  The  King  of 9  179 

Nearness  to  God,  how^  attained  15  353 

Negative,  A  fearful 7  296 

Neglect  of  Christ 12  209 

New  Year,  The 7  11 

News.  Bad 8  91 

Nothingness  of  man 18  391 

^'Now" 4  31 

Now,  the  Christian's 10  350 

Number  "  one  thousand  " 9  284 


Obedience  an  evidence  of  faith  11  46 
Obedience,  Half-way,  to  God's 

call 19  64 

Obedience  of  the  £?ospel 12  79 

Obedience  to  Christ  essential..  14  375 

Observation,  Want  of 7  154 

Official  position  saves  not 16  63 

Old  age,  Comfort  for 4  287 

Old  Testament  biographies 11  180 

Omnipotence 3  359 

Omniscience 2  380 

Omniscience  and  prayer 2  389 

Onesimus  an  instance  of  grace  10  304 

Open-air  preaching 9  466 

Opinion  of  society  no  rule  for 

Christian 16  176 

Opinion  without  faith 8  171 

Opportunity   comes    to   every 

eoul 15  75 

Opportunity,  Every  church  has 

its 15  74 

Opportunity  provided  for  every 

believer 11  259 

Ordinances  a  check  to  sin 5  189 

Orphans,  A  message  to 11  223 

Orthodoxy  described  and  esti- 
mated   13  54 

Out  of  Christ 14  295 


40G 


IJ^DEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Volume  Page 
Outward  forms,  Superstitious.  5  360 
Outward  Providences,  Table  of  5  28i 
Outsiders,  A  lesson  for  all 10      377 


Paralysis,  Spiritual 9  468 

Pardon  a  blessing 12  242 

Pardon  and  justitication 4  58 

Pardon,  Blessedness  of,  may  be 

enjoyed 12  232 

Pardon,  Chief  blessings  of  in 

future 12  243 

Parents  leading  their  children 

to  God 18  235 

Partaking  of  Christ's  death...  18  231 

Pascal 9  63 

Paschal  supper,  The 9  148 

Past,  Interest  of  the 16  55 

Past  goodness  of  God  argument 

for  the  future 15  249 

Peace  at  the  cross 15  352 

Peace,  False 7  176 

Peace  in  God's  thoughts  toward 

His  i)eople 18  152 

Peace,  Means  of 9  308 

Peace,  Negotiations  for 9  402 

Peace,  Terms  of 9  411 

Penitence.  The  tear  of 13  366 

Penitent,  The  doubtful 3  249 

Pentecost,  Personal 17  205 

Penury 2  21 

People  of  God,  Safety  of  the__    5  303 
Perfection     not     realized     by 

Christians  in  this  life 16  127 

Perfection,  Faith  in 5  437 

Perfection,  Prayer  for 7  12 

Perpetuity  of  God's  ordinances  18  221 

Persecuted,  God  delivers  the__  13  414 

Pesecution 12  287 

Persecutors,  Sin  of 16  202 

Perseverance 8  156 

Perseverance  in  working  and 

fighting ; 11  266 

Persevering  piety  springs  from 

youthful  piety ._  15  281 

Personal  Christ,  Attachment  to  10  323 

Persistent  praver 14  219 

Persuade,  Whom  to 18  193 

Persuading  sinners,  Christ 17  336 

Persuasion,  Methods  of 18  189 

Persuasion  to  what  end _  18  198 

Peter  restored 19  295 

Peter  the  blunderer 16  126 

Pharaoh 3  242' 

Phvsician,  The  great 9  234 

Piety,  Early 15  2^4 

Place,  Nothing  essentially  holy 

in 15  339 

Poison   drawn    from    healthy 

flowers 10  143 

Pool,  The  stagnant 9  446 

Poor,  Much  in  the  Bible  about 

the 17  182 

Poor,  Preaching  for  the 3  149 


Volume  Page 

Pope's  anathemas  harmless...  11  47 

Portraits  of  sinners 7  180 

Power,  Inexhaustible,  of  God.  16  116 
Power,  No  limit  to  Christ's...  15  200 
Power  of  body  in  the  resurrec- 
tion     7  202 

Power  of  Christ's  death 19  316 

Poverty's  appeal  to  God 11  81 

Practice  to  be  amended 2  340 

Praise  for  free  grace 10  42 

Prayer 14  204 

Prayer  accepted 16  340 

Prayer  a  false  ground  of  salva- 
tion   12  214 

Prayer,  Agonizing 17  14 

Prayer,    A  lesson   to   the   re- 
pulsed in 10  378 

Prayer  always  available 6  268 

Prayer  always  opportune 13  181 

Prayer,  a  mark  of  the  converted  16  320 

Prayer  a  means  to  holiness 13  332 

Prayer,  a  model 15  96 

Prayer  an  argument 1  181 

Prayer  and  the  fixity  of  law...  17  19 

Prayer  answered 7  21 

Prayer  answered  proves  it  will 

be  answered 15  251 

Praver  a  wonder  after  prayer- 

lessness 16  332 

Prayer,  Details  are  subjects  of  17  21 

Prayer,  Elements  of  true 16  325 

Praj'er,  Exaltation  in 13  69 

Praver  for  laborers,  the  great 

prayer 10  182 

Prayer  from   prepared   hearts 

must  be  heanl 15  268 

Prayer,  Need  of  general 17  11 

Prayer  helping  to  Christ,  illus- 
trated   11  146 

Prayer,  Humility    the  fit  atti- 
tude of 15  98 

Prayer,  Importance  of 13  220 

Prayerless  man,  The 16  323 

Prayer  must  be  in  faith 13  335 

Prayer,  Need  of 19  3S7 

Prayers  of  Paul  after  conver- 
sion    16  337 

Prayer  overcoming  Satan 19  313 

Prayer,  Paul's  first 1  170 

Prayer,    This    age    especially 

needs 17  28 

Prayer  to  the  Father  a  never- 

'failing  resource 18  79 

Prayer,    The    heart   the  main 

matter  in 15  262 

Prayer,    The    lowliest,   heard 

quickly 15  258 

Prayer,  The  lowliest,  is  accept- 

h\)\q            j5  252 

Prayer  w'ith'the  Hofy^pirit.II    6  292 

Prayers,  Answers  to 2  227 

Praise  a  part  of  God's  plan 16  394 

Praise,  The  one  subject  of 16  408 

Praise,  The  time  for 16  396 


INDEX    OF   SUBJECTS. 


407 


Volufue 

Praising  others 16 

Preachint,',  Apostolic 9 

Preaching  Christ  a  source  of 

joy 19 

Preaching  Christ,  Supreme  im- 
portance of 19 

Preaching  Christ  the  duty  of 

every  Christian 19 

Preaching  Christ    the  natural 

result  of  knowing  Hira 19 

Preaclnntr,  Directions  for 19 

Preaching,  Perfection  of 12 

Preaching  to  the  individual 14 

Precious  from  the  vile,  'J'he 7 

Prejudices  to  be  given  up Vi 

Presence  of  Christ  the  highest 

joy 19 

Presence    of    God  among   His 

people - 14 

Presence  of  God,  how  known,  15 
Presence  of  God,  illustrated...  18 
Presumptuous  sins  deliberate..    3 
Priceless,    Without   price    be- 
cause  ._  10 

Pride... 5 

Pride 5 

Pride 14 

Pride  of  life   detaining   from 

Christ 13 

Priest  dispensed  with.  The 10 

Priests  are  made.  How 8 

Priest,  Qualifications  of  a 17 

Probation,  No  future 13 

Procrastination    Satan's    best 

ally 1'. 

Procrastination,  Sin  of ]3 

Procrastination    to    be    aban- 
doned  13 

Procrastinator      aroused      b}' 

death 13 

Procrastinator      aroused      by 

testimony 13 

Procrastinator      aroused      by 

thought 13 

Procrastinator's  defense. 13 

Procrastinator's  emergency...  1.3 

Prodigal,  Return  of 1_. _    4 

Profession,  A  fruitless 3 

i'rofession   does   not  make  a 

Christian 11 

Profession  of  faith  a  duty 12 

Profession  toward  God,  Chris- 
tian's  '—  15 

Professor,  False,  like  silly  dove  11 
Professors  of  religion,  Chilli- 
ness of 9 

Professors.  False 7 

Prolligate,  The 5 

Project,  A  daring  but  unavoid- 
able   16 

Promise,  A  glorious 1 

Promi-ses  made  unreal,  The.. _  15 

Promises  of  Bethel,  'i'he 10 

ProiniBes  of  God 14 


Page 
276 
25:a 

333 

336 

324 

330 

241 

36 

96 

it;o 

68 
193 

363 
277 
436 


86 
246 
312 

318 
223 
71 
342 
327 

252 
253 

260 


266 

265 
257 
256 
145 
61 

44 

81 

360 
148 

63 
175 
272 

105 
297 

187 
294 
217 


Volu??ie 
Promises  precious  only  to  the 

consciously  needy 14 

Promises    wrongly    made    re- 
mote  15 

Promise,  The  great 5 

Promptness  in  view  of  death..  17 
Prophecy,  Messianic,  fulfilled.  18 

Prophecy,  The  awful 7 

Prophets  sent  one  after  another    9 

Propitiation  necessary 12 

Providence 5 

Providence,  Amazing 2 

Providence  and  the  angels 2 

I'rovideiice  and  Bethel 10 

Providence  cares  for  necessi- 
ties  15 

Providence    cares    for    Chris- 
tians   13 

Providence,  God  the  interpre- 
ter of 17 

Providence,  God's 2 

Providence,  Intricate 2 

Providence  is  always  correct..    2 
Providence  is  God's  sermon..    5 

Providence  is  spontaneous 15 

Providence  likened  to  a  sea...    2 

Providence,  Minuteness  of 5 

Providence  of  God  effective...  15 
Providence,  Preparations  of...    5 

Providence,  Punctuality  of 5 

Providences,  God's  message 12 

Providence,  Sp'^cial 13 

Providence  taught 15 

Providence,  The  devil's 10 

Providence  uniform 2 

Providential  care.  Kindness  of    5 
Provision  mnde  for  men  by  God  15 
Provision  for  sinners.  The  glo- 
rious  15 

Provision  for  the  soul,  Abun- 
dant  13 

Provision  for  all,  God's 15 

Proxies  in  baptism 8 

Prudence  mistaken  for  piety  __  13 
Public     confession     specially 

blessed 19 

Public  confession  for  others' 

sake 19 

Punishment,  Fear  of,  leads  to 

thouirhtfulness 13 

Punishment,  God's    power  to 

administer 11 

Punishment  of  sin,  Freedom 

from 7 

Punishment,  Warning  against.  16 

Puritan  divines.  The  old 7 

Purpose,  Singleness  of 12 

Quarles  (quoted) 9 

Queen  and  the  church.  The 8 

Question  for  all,  A 10 

Questions  of  the  day.  The 10 

Quibbling,  The  evil  of 12 


Page 
356 

186 
56 
317 
113 
305 
293 
fiO 
370 
200 
191 
203 


210 

253 

188 
198 
199 
113 

82 
196 
b73 
329 
r-i97 
315 

29 

18 
314 

78 
194 
380 
325 


142 

331 

60 

401 

124 

132 

330 

83 

283 

()7 

187 

9 


141 
71 


10.' 


408 


IXDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Volume  Pag^ 

Ransom,  Christ  a _  13  60 

Eansom,  The  effect  of  the 3  301 

Eeady  belief  commended 19  88 

Reasonableness  of  religion 17  232 

Reasonings,  David's 10  272 

Rebukes,  Why  God 4  342 

Reconciliation  in  Christ. 18  97 

Redemption,  General  and  par- 
ticular     6  94 

Redemption  of  Christ 12  63 

Refuge,  A  safe 4  290 

Refuire,  Cities  of 3  107 

Refuge,  The  sinner's 3  106 

Regeneration 3  210 

Regeneration,  Baptismal 8  12 

Regeneration,     Consciousness 

of .12  19 

Regrets  without  repentance...    8  173 

Reign  of  Christ  perpetual 8  132 

Reign,  The  millennial 7  371 

Rejoice,  Sin  not  to 17  145 

Rejoicing  a  duty _ 17  138 

Rejoicing,  Quality  of  true 17  146 

Religion,  Comfortable 15  289 

Religion,  Mere  respect  for 13  53 

Relit;ion,  Neglectersof 9  186 

Religion,  Nominal  professors 

of 9  201 

Religion,  No  taste  for 16  85 

Religion  of  Christ,  True 17  380 

Religion  reasonable. 17  232 

Religion,  Valuation  of  outward  13  53 

Remedy,  Prayer  a 9  392 

Remembrance,  A  Psalm  of 6  171 

Remission  of  sin 9  119 

Remission  through  the  blood.  18  227 

Repent,  Ciiristians  are  to 17  333 

Repentance,  Argument  for 14  112 

Repentance,    God's   argument 

for 15  179 

Repentance,  Means  of 2  439 

Repentance,  What  necessary  to    2  428 
Reproach,       Endured,       with 

Christ 11  270 

Reproach,  Enduring 13  67 

Reservoir,  The  great 4  381 

Resolution  a  means  to  holiness  13  336 
Resolution  needed  by  a  Chris- 
tian  11  287 

Resolving,  A  sinner's 4  173 

Responsibility.  Human 5  420 

Responsibility    of    church  in- 
creased by  additions,  The.  10  64 

Rest 9  437 

Rest  through  learning 9  449 

Restraint  fought  against 10  139 

Resurrection 1 19  156 

Resurrection,  Christ's,  a  power  16  193 

Resurrection,  Christ's,  proved  18  123 
Resurrection,  Christ's  presence 

means 15  190 

Resurrection,  Doctrine  of 1  228 

Resurrection     of     Christ,     a 

pledge 2  270 


Volume 
Resurrection  of  Christ.  Po^ver 

of-.- 1 

Resurrection  of  the  dead,  The.    2 
Resurrection,    Personality    in 

the _.    7 

Resurrection,  Priority  of  the..    7 

Resurrection,  The 7 

Resurrection,  The  body  in  the    7 

Resurrection,  The  first 7 

Resurrection,  The  general 1 

Resurrection,  The  spiritual ...    3 
Returning   to    God  all-impor- 
tant  _ 15 

Reverence 19 

Revival  sermon,  A 7 

Revivals,   Sudden 6 

Revival,  The  great 5 

Revival,  The  promise  of 7 

Revival,  The  spiritual 3 

Revival  work,  A  stimulus  to..    7 

Rewards,  The  Christian's 13 

Riches  of  Christ,  The  unsearch- 
able      9 

Riches  of  the  promises,  The 4 

Righteous  desired,  The  end  of 

the 9 

Righteousness    of    Christ    re- 
jected  19 

Righteousness,  What  is  your._    2 

Ripou  answered.  Dean  of 8 

Risca,  The  wailing  of. .._    7 

Risen  Christ,  The  forty  days 

of  the- 17 

Ritualism  in  popery 10 

Rock  smitten.  The 2 

Rock,  The  high 6 

Rutherford,  Samuel  (quoted)__    9 
Rutherford,  Samuel 8 

Sabbath-sehool,  The 1 

Sabbath-schools 2 

Sabbath-school,  Responsibility 

to  the 4 

Sacrifice,  Vicarious 8 

Saducees _ 19 

Safe  sa'ling 9 

Safety  in  God's  presence 14 

Safety  of  the  church 17 

Safety  of  those  in  Christ 10 

Saints  are  in  Christ's  compan- 
ionship   17 

Saints,  Comfort  for  feeble 2 

Saint,  Prayer  of  a 3 

Saints.  Remains  of  the  dust  of 

the 4 

Saint,  The  repentance  of 3 

Salvation.    Assurance    of    de- 
sired   13 

Salvation  free 13 

Salvation  from  wrath  .._ _  9 

Salvation  given  away 10 

Salvation,  Immediate 10 

Salvation  like  a  helmet 11 


Page 

117 
262 

206 
364 
194 
196 
361 
130 
225 

22 
258 


229 
374 
239 
118 

245 

375 

265 

204 
164 
63 


225 
315 
266 
141 
265 


144 
350 

137 
349 
233 
135 

85 
381 

23 

82 
246 

444 

164 


146 
151 


93 


INDEX   OP  SUBJECTS. 


409 


Volume  Page 
Salvation  not  Becured  by  hap- 


piness 


16 


Salvation,  Obstacles    removed 

thtou<ijh 3 

Salvation'of  the  Lord 3 

Salvation  open  to  all,  always..  14 
Salvation  possible  to  sinners..  14 
balvation,  Tlie  divine  side  of 

tlie  work  of 10 

Salvation  tlie  great  question. 

Personal 10 

Salvation,  The  linman  side  of.  10 

Salvation,  The  means  of 18 

Salvation  the  one  thing  need- 
ful. 12 

Salvation,  The  only  means  of.  10 

Salvation,  The  reason  of 3 

Salvation,  The  way  of 13 

Salvation  the  will  of  God 10 

Salvation,  Whose  matter  is  ...    9 

Salvation  wrongly  sought 13 

Salvation,  Youi'  own 3 

Samson 18 

Samson,  a  oeacon  _. .—  11 

Samson,  a  type  of  Christ 11 

Samson,  a  type  of  Christ 14 

Samson,  a  type  of  the  Chris- 

tian 14 

Samson  conquered .-     J 

Sanctiticatiou  longed  for 13 

Satan  conquered  by  Christ 11 

Satan,  Power  of 19 

Satan  s  gospel  refuted 17 

Satan's  power  detied 13 

Satan,    The     sinner's    conflict 

with 

Sarah  and  Hagar,    The    Alle- 
gories of 

Sarcasm,  The  jeer  of 

Saul,  King 

!Saul  on  his  way  to  Damascus.. 


339 

1U4 

213 


118 
196 


Saul,  The  conversion  of 6 

Saved,  Who  shall   be 5 

Saved,  Why  men  are 3 

Saviour,  A  glorious 3 

Saviour,  A  mighty 3 

Saviour's    death.     Effects    of 

the -    4 

Saviour,  The  willing . lo 

Scripture,  Christ's  belief  in 18 

Scripture  fulfllled  in  Christ's 

death 18 

Scripture,  Gloss  in  the IT 

Scripture  quoted  by  God 14 

Searching  of  hearts  by  Christ.  19 
Seasons,  Continuance  of  the..  IT 
Seasons  iu  the  spiritual  world.  IT 

Seasons,  The,  a  wonder IT 

Secret  discipleship  discouraged  15 

Secret  faith  disapproved 19 

Secret  purposes,  and  the  open 

promises  of  God,  The 10 

Secret  sin.  The  great  guilt  of..    3- 
Seeking  Christ — la 


11 

118 
337 
173 
187 

41 
163 

34 

30 
178 
181 

10 

11 
237 
145 
la8 
300 
277 
36? 

2      296 

2  120 
7        45 

3  247 
i:i8 

61 
3T 
32S 
330 
404 


10 


Volume 
Seeking  to  enter,  but  unable..  13 

Seeking  too  late 13 

.Selt'-cleception,  The  fear  of 8 

Self-examination 2 

Self-examination 19 

Self-reliant,  The,  warned 13 

Self-righteous 7 

Self-righteous 5 

Self-righteous,    Conversion   of 

the 13 

Self-righteousness,  Defects  of.  1* 
Self -righteousness  to  be  aban- 
doned   12 

Self-sacrifice,  Beauty  of _  16 

Self-suffering 5 

Self-sufficiency  a  mistake 19 

Self-weakness —    5 

Sensual  enjoyments 12 

Sensualitv  leads  to  apostasy...  12 
Sentenceof  the  guilty.  The —  4 
Separation,    Christians    called 

to 19 

Separation  of  Christians  from 

world 11 

Sermon,  An  appropriate 4 

Sermon  before  Felix,  Paul's...  4 
Service  of  Christ  commanded.  12 

Shedding  of  blood.  The 9 

"Sheep,  The  bleating  of" 9 

Sheep.  The  characterizing  of 

the 4 

Shepherd,  The  good 4 

Shepherd,  The  Lord  our 18 

Sick,    God   gives   triumph   to 

the —  13 

Sick  healed,  The 4 

Sickness,  a  means  of  conver- 


221 
88 
89 

103 

28T 

274 

19T 

54 

61 

5T 

120 

125 

200 
ITl 

4T 


31T 
322 
251 
11 
203 
219 
255 
276 

363 
171 


184 
247 
368 
50 
303 
300 
230 

67 

2T8 
195 
193 
83 
117 
453 


246 


414 

125 


10      159 


Sickness  God's  message 12 

Sick,  The  lament  of  the 11 

Sifting  required 13 

Sign,  Desiringa .--  12 

Sign  without  substance 8 

Significance  of   the    blood  of 

Christ,  The 10 

Signs  and  wonders T 

Siiuilitudes,  God  speaks  by 5 

Simplicitv  of  Gospel  methods.  14 
Sin  after  promises  of  holiness.  13 

Sin  against  light 16 

Sin     aggravated     by    circum- 
stances   13 

Sin  a  loss 5 

Sin  analogous  to  leprosy 19 

Sin  and  death 1 

Sin  antagonistic  to  sinner's  in- 
terests  13 

Sin,  Arguments  for  abandon- 
ing   16 

Sin,  13.  6ettinir,to  be  conquered  11 

Sin  conquered  by  Christ 11 

Sin,  Constant  sorrow  for 13 

Sin,  Deceitfulness  of 16 

Siu,  Exceeding  binfuluess  of..  13 


79 
346 
175 
170 

253 
153 

114 
215 
ly3 
207 

186 

187 

19 

276 

77 

95 
192 
186 
47 
56 
73 


410 


IXDEX   OF    SUBJECTS. 


Volume 
Sin,  Greatness  of  a  plea  for 

pardon  of 13 

Sin,  Harnessed  to  wagon  of_._  16 
Sin,  Heinousness  of  conscious.  13 

Sin,  Heinousness  of  our 13 

Sin  immeasurable 7 

Sin  is   rebellion   against   just 

laws 13 

Sin  is  rebellion  against  God...  13 

Sin  is  without  provocation 13 

Sin,  like  fire 13 

Sin  loved  by  the  sinner 19 

Sin  may  be  forgiven 12 

Sin  must  be  turned  from 15 

Sin  not  blotted  out  by  tears...  12 
Sin  not  covered  by  impugning 

God's  law I 12 

Sin  not  covered  by  secrecy 12 

Sin  not  hidden  by  falsehood..  12 

Sin  not  hidden  by  time 12 

Siu  overruled 10 

Sin  possible,  Freedom  from...  8 
Siu  requires  radical  treatment  13 

Sins.  Coarse 16 

Sins,  Forgiveness  of 7 

Sins,  Forgiveness  of.. 10 

Sins,  Little 6 

Sin  sickness 14 

Sin  slain  by  Christ 11 

Sin  slain  with  its  own  weapon  11 

Sin,  Sorrow  for... 2 

Sins  past,  removed 7 

Sins  pre-eminent 13 

Sins,  Presumptuous 3 

Sins,  Secret 3 

Sins,  The  danger  of  sercet 3 

Sins,  The  nursery  of  secret 3 

Sin,  The  confession  of 3 

Sin,  The  nature  of 9 

Sin,  The  law  the  strength  of..    1 

Sin,  The  remedy  of 5 

Sin,  The  ruin  wrought  by 13 

Sin.  The  terrible  deeds  of 10 

Siu  to  be  abandoned 12 

Sin  unpardoned 9 

Sin  upsetting  the  order  of  the 

universe... 13 

Sin,  Value  of  apologies  for 13 

Sin,  Woe  of  remaining  in 16 

Sincerity  described  and  esti- 
mated   13 

Sinceritv,  Praver  a  proof  of 1 

Singing;  The  dumb 3 

Singing,  The  true  tone  of 16 

Sinner  a  sick  man,  The 9 

Sinner     bemoaning     himself. 

The... 9 

Sinner.  Folly  and  siu  of 13 

Sinner  in  a  small  way 16 

Sinner,  like  a  brand  in  the  lire.  13 

Siuuer  powerless.  The 10 

Sinner,  Saved,  a  wonder. 13 

Sinner,   Saved,   the  source  of 

Christ's  joy 15 


Page 

195 
81 
189 
1S2 
245 


74 
187 
351 

15 

2x'8 

i;3 

194 

185 

187 

190 

192 

309 

191 

344 

205 

72 

13 

202 

357 

256 

256 

25 

31 

82 

432 

164 

173 

168 

241 

218 

286 

229 

80 

134 

71 


192 
91 

55 
183 
119 
403 

227 

206 
85 
64 
351 
145 
355 

242 


j  Volume  Page 

Sinner,  The  hardened 3     242 

Sinners  as  lost. 4      113 

j   Sinners,  Conversion  of  gror-s_.  13      360 
Sinners,    Conversion    of   belf- 

abandoned 13      362 

Sinners  driven  away 4      120 

Sinners,  Fears  of 4      157 

Sinners    hardened    by    God's 

dealing 10      142 

Sinners  in  Zion,  afraid 8        64 

Sinners  left  to  themselves 13        24 

Sinner's  present  condition  one 

of  death 13      107 

Sinners,  Testimony  of  saved..  16      216 

Sinners,  The  chief 16      201 

Sinners,  Why  salvation  comes 

togreat 16      211 

Slave,  A  story  of  a  runaway 10      302 

Sleep  of  beloved.  The 2      234 

ISleep  of  Christians,  The 1      aSS 

Sleeping  Christians,  awake 1      351 

Sloth 4      341 

Slowness  of  heart  to  believe 18      314 

Smoking  flax,  The 2      248 

Snares 3        42 

Snares,  Deliverance  from 3        51 

Son,  Freedom  through  the 8      2u0 

Son  of  man,  The  mission  of  the    6        92 

SouiTS  in  the  niiiht 2      167 

Sonship  of  Christian  inviolate. 

The _    5      lot 

Sonship  of  the  Christians 5        98 

Sorrow,  Christian,  followed  by 

joy 11 

Sorrow,  Godless 11 

Souls  like  unto  desert-* 12 

Soul  winners  among  men  make 

Christ  rejoice 19 

Soul  winning.  Difficulties  of..  19 
Soul  winning,  its  weighty  re- 
sponsibility  19 

Sovereignty  and  salvation 1 

Sovereignty,  Divine 7 

Sovereignty  of  God 11 

Sovereignty  of  God  in  salva- 
tion  10 

Spared — why  God  has  spared 

men 13 

Speaking  for  Christ 14 

Speaking  for  God 12 

Spiritual    darkness,  a  test   of 

faith 18 

Spiritual  pauper,  The 14 

Spiritual    world.   Changes    in 


the 


Si)irit,  Walking  after  the 17 

Spoil  divided.  The 7 

Spurgeon's  method  of  preach- 
ing   17 

Stability,  Motives  to  spiritual.  13 

Statute.  An  unalterable 9 

Steadfastness  illustrated 13 

Stories  in  the  Ark 4 

Story,  Tell  the 3 


70 
76 
159 

238 
352 

346 

I 

237 

225 

199 

14 
137 

318 

353 
250 


114 

274 
304 
117 
403 
12 
401 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


411 


Volmne 

Strength  for  the  day 5 

StR'iiiiUi,  Ciod  the  Christian's.  1(5 
!Sti(.'nv,'th,  Human,  intsuliicient  IH 

Siic'iiiitii  ill  God's  preBcuce 14 

fSlrc'iiLilh,  Socivt  of 1 

!Stifiit;th,  Secret  of 5 

Suite  with  yatan  necessary. __  19 

Substitute,  Jesus  the 8 

'•  Substitution  "  —  The  gospel 

in  one  word 3 

Substitute,  The  j,'reat 2 

ijubstitution 10 

Substitution,  illustrated 3 

Substitution,  The  complete...    8 

Success  through  faith 11 

iSulfering 4 

Sulleriugs   of   Christ,  Eeason 

of 4 

Sufferings  of  Christ,  The 6 

Sunday-school,     Children     be- 
long to 2 

Sunday-school  lessons,  Five..    2 

Surrender,  Entire 2 

Surrender  to  Christ  necessary.  13 

Sword,  Christ's  two-edged 19 

Sympathy 18 

Sympathy  of  Christ 18 

Sympathy     of     Nature     with 
Christ... ir 

Tabernacle  of  Most  High 6 

Tables,  Fencing  the lU 

Talents,  The  tive 4 

Talents,  The  two 4 

Talk  without  feeling 8 

Taunts  of  Sata-i 19 

Teacher,  The  Sabbath-school  _    9 

Teaching,  Children  want 2 

Teaching  for  (jod 2 

Temptation 1 

Temptation 7 

Temptation,  Comfort  in 18 

Temptation  of  Christ 18 

Temptations  pecaliar  to  those 

who  readily  believe 19 

Temptation    resisted— illustra- 
tion   12 

Temptation,     Sin     of    toying 

with 13 

Temptation  warded  oil'  by  re- 
joicing..  17 

Temperance  in  all  things 17 

Tempters,  Wickedness  of 16 

Testifying    for    Christ,    Duty 

of 14 

Testimony  amonii;  ungodly 12 

Testimony  essential  to  all  be- 
lievers  12 

Testimony  is  commanded  by 

Christ 12 

Testimony  of  Christ  confirmed 

in  Cnristians 2 

Testimony  ui  Jesus 2 


Page 

49 

409 

59 

84 

204 

245 

307 

103 

99 
289 
247 
413 
107 
218 
354 

216 


353 

356 

141 

59 

35 

327 

16 

109 


34 
10 
130 
129 
172 
222 
460 
352 
351 
198 
169 
a39 
331 

90 

106 

40 

156 
243 
209 

376 
322 

326 

331 

225 

2iy 


Volume  Page 

Testimony,  Reasons  for _  12  332 

Testimony,  Stepping-stones  of    2  221 

Testimony,  Suggestions  as  to.  12  3:36 

Thirst  of  the  believer 13  140 

Thoughtfulness,  Nature  of 13  56 

Thoughtlessness 12  91 

Thoughts  and  their  fruit 9  157 

Thoughts,  Bad 9  161 

Thoughts,   Blasphemous 7  40 

Thoughts,  Good 9  168 

Thoughts,  Sinful 7  97 

Thoughts,  Sinful 9  166 

Thoughts,      The     importance 

of 10  122 

Thousandth  sermon,  Mr.  Spur- 

geon.  The 9  284 

Timid,  Comfort  for  the 11  226 

Token,  "  The  blood"  a  distin- 
guishing   10  250 

Tomb  of  Jesus,  The 1  211 

"Too  late!" 13  325 

Touching  Jesus 19  116 

Touch  of  Jesus 14  228 

Transubstantiation 6  288 

Travail  for  souls  hindered 9  28 

Travail    for  souls,  The  result 

of 9  24 

Travailing  for  souls 9  13 

Treasures,  Great 9  137 

Treat  vour selves,  How  to 7  106 

Tree,  The  lea.iess 3  37 

'J'ree,  The  forbidden 10  139 

Tree,  The  healing 9  400 

Trees,  Barren 8  184 

Trials,  Domestic 7  48 

Trials,  Kefuge  in,  illustrated..  11  132 

Triliing,  Warning  against 16  81 

Trinity  and  salvation.  The 17  209 

Trinity,  Tnited  agency  of  the.     1  55 
Trouble,  Christian  is  not  free 

from 11  91 

Troubled,  Plea  of  the,  power- 
ful  11  84 

Troubled,  Successful  plea   of 

the 11  87 

Troubled,  The,  seek  full  suc- 
cor  11  90 

Trouble,  God  the  true  refuge 

in 11  86 

Trouble  leads  to  Jesus 16  369 

Troubles  in  future  to  be  ex- 
pected    11  199 

Troubles  present.  Deliverance 

from 11  202 

Trust  in  Christ 12.  -£3 

Trust  in  Christ  a  duty 18  293 

Trust  in  Christ,  its  elTecls 18  288 

Trusting  in  the  midst  of  dark- 
ness   18  380 

Trust  the  mark  of  all   believ- 
ers   18  280 

Trust  the  method  of  salvation,  18  298 
Truthful  natures  quick  to  be- 
lieve  19  83 


412 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Vohwie  Page 

"  Turn  or  burn  " 2  426 

Two  worlds,  The  sympathy  of 

the 6  46 

T3^pes,  their  use  and  abuse 11  248 

Unbelief _    4  186 

Unbelief 12  215 

Unbelief ,  a  parent  sin 2  54 

Unbelief  inexcusable 16  249 

Unbelief,  its  chastisement 12  1T8 

Unbelief  of  Christians 12  167 

Unbelief  of  Christians  is  folly; 

why? 18  307 

Unbelief  of   sinners   ia   folly; 

why? 18  321 

Unbelief,  bin  of 2  50 

Unbeliever  earnestly  expostu- 
lated with 13  125 

Unbeliever  gees  no  good  from 

the  means  of  grace 13  278 

Unbeliever  is  without  hope_._  13  273 

UnbelK  .er  is  without  light 13  271 

Unbeliever  is  without  peace.. _  13  272 

Unbeliever  is  without  safety...  13  272 
Unbeliever,  Misery  of  estate  of 

the 13  270 

Unbeliever's  religious  acts  vain  13  273 

Unbeliever  shall  perish 13  279 

Unbeliever,  The,  is  without  a 

Saviour 13  274 

Unconverted,  A  call  to  the 4  223 

Unconverted  to  be  prayed  for.  17  159 

Unction 17  228 

Undecided,  Appeal  to  the 3  179 

Understanding  spiritual  things  12  341 
Understanding,  Theoretical,  in- 
sufficient  12  352 

Ungodly  shall  perish.  The 4  252 

Union  between  Christians  and 

Christ,  The 11  165 

Union  between  Christ  and  the 

believer.  Vital 10  21 

Union  with  Christ 14  302 

Unity  in  the  cause  of  Christ. __    2  139 

Vail,     The     entrance     within 

the 2  117 

Vanguard  of  the  church.  The.    5  387 

Victory 2  259 

Victory  over  evil.  Cost  of 13  212 

Victory    won    by    the     Holy 

Spirit 14  17 

Vine,  The  fruitless. 3  58 

Voice  of  Jesus 14  286 

V  oices  calling  to  apostasy 15  12 

Waiting  changed  for  believ- 
ing   9  225 

Wakefulness,  The  importance 

of 9  348 

Wants   of    the   soul  provided 

for 13  143 


Volume 

Warning,  The  neglected 4 

Warning,  Words  of _    7 

Watchfulness   not    to    be    re- 
laxed  10 

Way  of  salvation. 19 

Weakness,  Advantage  of  know- 
ing our .' 11 

Weakness  recognized,  the  be- 
ginning of  strength 19 

Wealth  a  danger  to  piety 9 

Weapons,  Christ's,  not  carnal.  11 

Weapons,  Tried,  the  besr 11 

Weary  and  heavy  laden 9 

Weak  hands  and  feeble  knees.    6 

Wedding  garment.  The 19 

Wesley,  John 7 

Where  man  may  meet  God 15 

Whitefield 7 

Whosoever,  or,  salvation  free_  15 

Wicked  driven  away,  'i  he 7 

Wickedness   of    iieart   unreal- 
ized  13 

Wicked,  Resurrection  of  the..    2 
Wicked,  Why  God  spares  the.  13 

Wife's  place,  Tne 9 

Willfulness  impairs  usefulness  16 

Willingness  to  be  good 13 

Will  of  Christ  gives  heaven- 
ward impetus  to  Christians  17 

Will,  The  Father's 10 

Window  in  ark.  Signification 

of  the . 4 

Wine,Tiie  best 5 

Wisdom,  Exhortation  to 12 

Wisdom,     Human,      frequent 

falsitv  of 19 

Wishing,  The  vanity  of 9 

Witnesses,    God    never    with- 
out  15 

Witnessing    to    God's    good- 
ness .1 14 

Witness  of  Christ  for  Himself, 

The 2 

Witness,  The  minister's. 6 

Woes,  God's 16 

"  Wonderful,"  The 5 

Word  of  God  depreciated 15 

Word  of  Jesus 14 

Work 14 

Work,    Beauty   of   unostenta- 
tious  16 

Work,    Death's     approach    a 

stimulus  to 17 

Workers,  Bands  of,  needed...    9 
Work  for  Christ,  Perseverance 

in 11 

Work  lOr  Christ,  Prepared 16 

Work  for  God,  The  unhappy 

can  not 5 

Work  for  the  Master,  Why 16 

Work  incomplete 18 

Work  of  God  immutable 4 

Works  as  a  ground  for  salva- 
tion  12 


240 
242 


84 


82 


56 
254 
262 
437 
383 
204 

53 
337 

53 
199 


32 
273 

16 

72 
146 

57 

75 

186 

8 
291 
87 


279 

272 

28 

222 
60 
79 
15 
184 
291 
122 

190 

316 
459 

266 
186 

207 
27 
177 
184 

213 


IXDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


413 


Volume  Page 

Works  as  a  Sa\nonr  a  failure..  13  lfj7 

Work?  of  God,  Sudden 6  18 

Work,  When  to 11  243 

World  a  harvest,  The 10  168 

World,    Date    of   end  of,    un- 
known.  17  52 

World,  Separation  from  the.._  11  30 
Worhl,  The,  discovering  God's 

works 17  188 

World    turned    upside    down, 

The.. 5  402 

Worldiiness 5  279 

Worldliness... 6  128 

Women  need  and  have  salva- 
tion   11  220 

Wounded  by  the  Lord 14  362 

Yoke  of  Christ,  The 9  444 


Volume  Page 
Younj?  manhood  the  time  to  be- 

gin  life's  tight 13  204 

Young  men  warned _  13  210 

Young  people  as    God's   wit- 
nesses  15  273 

Youthful   piety  leads  to  later 

piety 15  281 

Zachariah,    lessons    from  his 

character 12  108 

Zeal 6  329 

Zeal  commended 17  162 

Zeal  in  religion,  true  and  false  13  56 
Zealot,    defects    and    dangers 

of 17  166 

Zealots,    what   they   will   not 

do 17  176 

Zealous,  but  wrong 17  160 


INDEX   TO   SCRIPTURE   TEXTS. 


GENESIS. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

vii.  15.- 4 1 

viii.  22 17 #> 

xii.  5.- _19.. 57 

xvi.   13 2 880 

xix.   16 13 250 

xix.  -10 G 203 

xxii.  14 15 3!4 

xxiv.  5-8 19 345 

xxxi.  13 10 282 

xxxii.  10 15 95 

xlviii.  15,  10. ...18 2.^5 

xlix.  23,24 1. 192 

EXODUS. 

ix.27 3 242 

xi.7 7 160 

xii.  18 -.  5...- 303 

xii.  13 10 243 

xiY.  19,  20 15 139 

XV.  1,  2 16 .-  393 

XV.  23,24,25...  9 382 

xxxiii.  18 2 204 

xxxiii.  19 8 222 

LEVITICUS. 

xlii.  12,  13 7 311 

xvi.  34. 2 104 

NUMBERS. 

xxii. 34 3 244 

xxiii.  10.. 9.--. 265 

xxiii.  21 14 75 

xxiv.  17.. 11 7 

xxiv.  17... 9 104 

xxvii.5-.. 11 209 

xxxv.ll 3 106 

DEUTERONOMY. 

i.  25 3 138 

xxxii.  29 7.-.. 126 

xxxiii.  25 5 49 

xxxiv.  5 18 166 


JOSHUA. 

CJmp.  Volume  Page 

vii   20 3. 249 

xvii.  14... -17 31 

JUDGES. 

iii.20 12... 26 

xiv.  8,  9 14 9 

XV.  18 11 --  194 

xvi.   3 11 179 

xvi.  20,  21 5 236 

xvi.  22 18 30 

I  SAMUEL. 

iv.3 -  5-- 353 

xii.  17 2 ---  232 

XV.  24 3 247 

xvii.  36.  37 10.-- --_  262 

xvii.  50 11 247 

XXX. 20 19.- 145 

II   SAMUEL. 

vi.  20-22 7. 45 

vii.  18-22 10 28 

xvi.29-31 8 112 

xvii.  23 9 496 

xxiii.  4 11 61 

I  KINGS. 

xvi.  6 8.. 79 

xviii.  12 15 270 

xviii.  21 -  3 179 

II  KINGS. 

vii.  3-7 17 183 

vii.  4 13 101 

vii.  19 2..- -..     50 

viii.  12,  13 .13.. 29 

I  CHRONICLES. 

xii.  5-15 11 270 

xxi.  18 15 336 

xxii.  1 15 336 


416 


INDEX  TO   SCRIPTUEE   TEXTS. 


II  CHROJflCLES. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

xvi.  9 ..10.. 68 

xxviii.  10 7. 94 

xxxiii.  13 3 311 

NEHEMIAH. 

iii.S 11 22 

lii.8 9 89 

ESTHER. 

iv.l3, 14 .15- 73 

JOB. 

vii.  20. 3. 252 

xiii.  25 .11.. 78 

xxiii.  3 3. 90 

XXX.23 ..-.17 297 

xxxiii.  29,  30.--10 147 

XXXV.  10 2 167 

xxxvi.  2. .-12 318 


PSALMS. 

i.  4 -  7 293 

ii.  12_. 6 109 

ii.   12... .12 86 

iv.  4,  5.. -19 256 

vii.  12 --  2 426 

X.  17 15 249 

xviii.  29. .11 112 

xix.  12 7 245 

xix.  12 3.... 164 

xix.  18 3. 432 

xxii.  8 15 292 

xxiii.  1 4 75 

XXV.  11 13 179 

xxxii.  1.. 4 58 

xxxii.   1 12    226 

xxxiv.  5.. 5 253 

xxxiv.  11 2 345 

xxxvi.  6 9-. 131 

xliv.  1 6 13 

xlv.  2 4.. 92 

Ivii.  8 9 342 

lx.4 11... 164 

Ixi.  2 6... 267 

Ixxi.  3 16 295 

Ixxii.  17 1 154 

Ixxxv.  2 12 184 

xc.  1 2 1 


PSALMS. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

xci.2. .10 841 

xci.3. 3.. 42 

civ.34- .4 39 

cvi.  8- -...  3.. 328 

ex.  3 6.. 249 

cxi.5.... 6.. 280 

cxix.  145,  146. .-13 330 

cxxvii.2.. 2 34 

cxxxviii.  8 5 437 

cxliii.3 .2 18 

PROVERBS. 

iv.23 4... 381 

xiv.  14 10 203 

XV.  11 4 161 

xviii.  24.. 3 11 

xxvii.8 13 287 

ECCLESIASTES. 

vii.  2 2. 88 

xi.3 11 225 

SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 

vi.  13 15 7 

viii.l3 14 118 

CANTICLES. 

i.  13. 8.... 259 

V.  16 9. 323 

ISAIAH. 

ii.  22... .18 371 

V.   18 16... 79 

vi.l8 3 27 

ix.6 5 31 

ix.6 6 142 

xi.l 5... 197 

XXX.3 6 382 

XXXV.  5,6 3 119 

xxxiii.  15, 16. ...15 29 

xli.  14 4 290 

xli.  14 4.. 350 

xliii.  6... -.12 67 

xlv.  22... -  1-. 1 

xlvi.6..' 2.. 361 

xlix.8 2 395 

1.  10 18 349 


IN'DEX   TO   SCRIPTURE   TEXTS. 


417 


ISAIAH. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

li.  3 ...12 147 

lii.lO. 5.. .-  336 

lii.l2. .-.-  5. 387 

lii.  12 15... 139 

liii.  3--.. 12 203 

liii.  10 4 209 

liii.  10. 8 96 

liv.  17 2.. 152 

Iv.  1 13 141 

Iv.  1 14.. 248 

Iv.l 10 87 

Iviii.  8 15 139 

Ixiii.l 3 .-  404 

lxvi.8 9 13 

JEREMIAH. 

ii.  36 9-. 70 

iv.20 7 328 

V.  22,  23 5 180 

vi.  14 7 177 

vi.l9 9 157 

viii.  6 4 258 

xxix.  11 18 143 

XXX.  17 ..14..-- ---  356 

xxxi.  3 12 271 

xxxi.  3 17 251 

xxxi.  18. 9.-. 206 

LAMENTATIONS, 
i.l2 ...13 124 

EZEKIEL. 

i.  15-19 2. 188 

ix.  8 13 11 

xi.5 8 55 

XV.  1,2 3 58 

xvi.  54-. 6 125 

xviii.  23 15.. 161 

xviii.  32 ...15 161 

xxxiii.5 4... ---  240 

xxxiii.  11 15 161 

xxxiv.  16 4 Ill 

xxxiv.  26 1.. 134 

xxxiv.  30,  31... -15.. 358 

xxxvi.26 5.. 81 

xxxvi.27. 6 186 

xcii.  24 13 370 

DANIEL. 

Vi.  20 13 388 


HOSEA. 

Chap.               Volume                 lat^ 
V.  13 13 15u 

vii.  11..-. 11 148 

xii.  10 5 112 

AMOS. 
ix.l3 7 227 

JONAH. 

i.12,13.. 8 335 

ii.  9 3 194 

MICAH. 

ii.  12,  13 18 53 

iv.  1 6.- 216 

V.  4.-.. 8 131 

vii.  7. ...16. 31 

NAHUM. 

1.  3 3 359 

HABAKKUK. 

i.3-.. 6. 422 

iii.2 3 74 

ZEPHANIAH. 

iii.l7 6... 297 

ZECHARIAH. 

iii.2 ...13 350 

xiv.  7.. 4.. 275 

MALACHI. 

iii.  10 4 21 

MATTHEW. 

vi.9.. ..5 96 

vii.  12 ..14.. 204 

viii.  11,12 1 296 

viii.  14,  15 16 7 

ix,  37,  38 10 167 


418 


IXDEX   TO    SCRIPTURE   TEXTS. 


MATTHEW. 

CJiap.                Volume 

Page 

ix.  37,38. .10.. 

.-  167 

X.  22 8 

..  150 

X.  30 5 

..  370 

xi.    5... 3-. 

.-  149  , 

xi.    19 8 

..  206 

xi.  27,28 12 

.-  108 

xi.   28-30 9 

-.  437 

xi.   28-30 6 

..  366 

xii.  20 2 

..  246 

xiii.  51 12 

.-  341   ; 

xiv.  26 9 

..  476 

>iv.31.. ..16 

..  ^46  j 

xiv.  16 9 

..     54  ' 

XV.  26,27 10 

-.  360  , 

xvii.  5 13.. 

..  224 

xvii.  5,  6,  7 14 

..  270  ' 

xvii.  8 9 

.-  419  s 

xix.  19 4 .... 

..  428   1 

XX.  28 12 

-.     49 

xxi.  28-32 9 

-.  186   , 

x.xii.lO 19 

..  167 

xxii.  11-13 19.. 

..  190 

xxii.42 10 

-.  107 

XXV.  22,23 4 

..  129  1 

xxvi.  28 18 

..  212  ! 

xxvi.  5-^,  54 18 

..     75  1 

xxvii.  4 3 

-.  250    j 

xxvii.45 17 

..     91   1 

xxvii.  43.. 19 

..  211 

xxviii.  6 1 

.-  211 

MARK. 

i.  40,  41,42 19 13  : 

V.  19 3 380  ; 

vii.  27,  28 10 BCO  ! 

viii.   19-21 16 1(J2  i 

X.  13-16 8 36  I 

X.  21 13 51  I 

X.  46-52 6 399  i 

xi.    18 8 168  i 

xii.  30 4 301 

xiv.  6 16 174 

XV.  43-46 15 117 

xvi.  15,  16. 8-. 11 


LUKE. 


1.  20 12 

V.  16-26 9 

vi.  46-49 14 

viii.  43,  44 19 

viii.  47 19 


167 
456 
31 
101 
123 


LUKE. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

ix.   42 2 296 

X.  42 12 9 

xii.  1 6 334 

>iil.  24... 13 310 

XV.  4-7 15 227 

XV.  10 6 47 

XV.  17 9 204 

XV.  18. -  3 252 

XV.  20 4 145 

xviii.  13 5 147 

xix.  10__ 6 92 

XX.  37,  38 16 344 

XAii.   60-62 19 278 

xxiv.  25 18 303 

xxiv.  36-44 18 120 

JOHN. 

i.  16 12. 247 

i.  50 19 79 

ii.  9,  10 5 270 

ii.  9,  10 5 289 

iii.2 3.. 210 

iii.l8 7 259 

iii.18 7 277 

iv.  31-38 17 114 

iv.  46-53 16 368 

iv.48 7 141 

V.  1-9 9 225 

vi.39,40 10 186 

vi.48 18 7 

vi.55 9 143 

vi  63 6 283 

vi.  67 12 291 

viii.  36 8   187 

ix.  25 12 9 

X.  9 11 :.-  41 

xi.24-26 15 183 

xiv.  16,  17 1 45 

xiv.   26 1 66 

XV.  22 5 420 

xvii.  24 17 68 

xix.   5 2 328 

xi.x.  31-37 18 98 

XX.  17 ....  6 413 

xxi.  16 10 322 

ACTS. 

ii.  47 10.. 48 

V.  19,  20-. .19 233 

iv.  13 1 252 


INDEX   TO    SCRIPTURE   TEXTS. 


419 


ACTS. 

Chap.  Volume  Paqe 

viii.   35 19 322 

ix.ll 1 170 

ix.  11 -.16 320 

X.  14 16 126 

X.  36 9 402 

X.  44 6 31 

xiii.  40 1.- 321 

xiv.  9,  10 8 241 

xvi.   31 7 28 

xvii.  6 _.  5 402 

xvii.  27-. -18 257 

xxiv.  15- 2 262 

xxiv.  25 4 193 

xxvi.  14 6 61 

xxviii.  23 IS 189 


ii.  4 14 96 

iii.24 3 295 

V.   5.... ..-17 ---.  205 

V.  8 2 410 

Yii.  13 13 72 

vii.  13 10 127 

viii.   1 17 274 

viii.  7 1 230 

viii.  31 8 354 

viii.   34 6 156 

X.  1,2,3.. .17- 159 

XV.  13 1 112 

XV.  30-33 17 7 


I  CORINTHIANS. 

1.6 2 217 

i.  23,  2A 1 85 

i.ai 3 375 

i.  26-29 8 297 

iv.  7 6.. 78 

ix.  7 13 201 

X.  4 2 312 

XV.  35-38 7 194 

XV.  56,57 1 274 

II  comxTniAxs. 

V.   1 14 139 

V.  5.. ---12 358 

V.  20 12 125 

viii.  9 4 364 

xii.  10. 19 368 


G-\L.^TIANS. 

Chap.  Volume  Page 

iii.  10 4 223 

iii.l3 2 2<S0 

iv.  24 2 120 

V.  6.... .14 3^4 

EPIIESIANS. 

i.  6. a -.  292 

i.  7--.. 7 62 

i.  12,13 18 . 280 

ii.  10 16 150 

ii.  12 13 270 

ii.  22 6-... 437 

iii.8. 9 245 

V.  1- 14 226 

V.  30 10 9 

PniLIPPIAXS. 

ii.  9-11 2 136 

ii.  12 9 34 

iii.  13 12 9 

iv.  7 4 397 

COLOSSIANS. 

i.  27 14 161 

ii.  15 7 110 

I  THESSALOXIANS. 

V.  6 4 316 

V.  6 .1 344 

V.  8 11 93 

V.   16 17 137 

II  TIIESS.\LOXIANS. 

i.  3 5 129 

i.  3 10 270 

ii.  13,  14 2 66 

I  TIMOTHY. 

i.  15-17 16 19S 

II  TIMOTHY. 

\.  12 7 79 


420 


lis'DEX   TO   SCllIPTURE   TEXTS. 


TITUS. 

Chap.  Volume  Pai/e 

12. 8.. 316 

PHILEMON. 

verse  15 10 303 

IIEBKEWS. 

ii.  18 18 827 

V.  7-10 17 342 

vi.6 1 364 

viii.    10 9 172 

ix.   22 9 117 

ix.   22 3 288 

xi.   6 8 256 

xi.   31 3 269 

xii.  24 5 65 

xiii.  8 4 178 

xiii.  12 6 309 

xiii.  20 7-. 212 

JAMES. 

iv.  14 15 51 

I  PETER. 

1.6. 5 211 

i.  13.. .17 228 

i.  23-25.. 9 863 

il.  7. 6 350 

ill. 22 17 363 

V.  6 14 312 


I  PETER. 

Chap.  Volume  Paqe 

v.lO... 7 11 

V.  10 14 183 

II  PETER, 

1.  10,  11 3 343 

ii.  4 16 55 

iii.18 6 319 


I  JOHN. 

i.  7 5 222 

ill.  21 16 222 

iv.  10,  11 14 53 

iv.  16 6 171 

iv.  19 5 319 

iv.  19 9 304 

V.  10 10 233 

RE^'ELATION. 

ii.4.. 5... 164 

ii.  4,  5 17 320 

ii.  12,  13 19 35 

iii.l9 4 383 

vii.  16, 17 15 204 

ix.l2-... ..18 86 

xii.  11 19 300 

XV.  3 3 419 

XX.  12 7 361 

xxi.  23 8 278 

xxii.2 11 134 


TITLES   OF   SERMONS   CONTAINED    IN 
THE   NINETEEN    VOLUMES. 


I. 


Sovereiiiuty  aucl  Salvation. 

The  Bible. 

The    Personality    of    the    Holy 

Ghost. 
The  Comforter. 
Christ  Crucitied. 
The  Power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  Church  of  Christ. 
The  Eternal  Name. 
Paul's  First  Prayer. 
Joseph  Attacked  by  the  Archers. 
The  Tomb  of  Jesus, 
The  Carnal  Mind. 
Enmity  Against  God. 
Christ's  People  Imitators  of  Him. 
Thoughts  on  the  Last  Battle. 
Heaven  and  Hell. 
Gospel  Missions. 
The  Enchanted  Ground. 
Faith. 


II. 


The  Glorious  Habitation. 

Healing  for  the  Wounded. 

The  Peculiar  of  the  Beloved. 

The  Sin  of  Unbelief. 

Election. 

The  House  of  ]\Iourning  and  the 

House  of  Feasting. 
The  Day  of  Atonement. 
The    Allegories    of    Sarah    and 

Hagar. 
The  Exaltation  of  Christ. 
The   Saints'    Heritage    and    tlic 

Watchword. 
Sou^■s  in  tho  Night. 


God's  Providence. 

A  View  of  God's  Glory. 

Confirming      the      Witness     of 

Christ. 
Harvest  Time. 

Sweet  Comfort  for  Feeble  Saints. 
The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead. 
The  Curse  Removed. 
The  Comer's  Conflict  with  Satan. 
Christ  the  Rock. 
A  Visit  to  Calvary. 
Teaching  Children. 
The  God  of  the  Aged. 
Omniscience. 
Christ  in  the  Covenant. 
Love's  Commendation. 
Turn  or  Burn. 

III. 

A  Faithful  Friend. 

The  Leafless  Tree. 

The  Snare  of  the  Fowler. 

The  Fruitless  Vine. 

Spiritual   Revival  the  Want   of 

the  Church. 
The  xVuxious  Inquirer, 
The  Sinner's  Refuge. 
The  Dumb  Singing. 
Foretastes  of  the  Heavenly  Life. 
Preaching  for  the  Poor. 
Secret  Sins. 
Elijah's    Appeal    to    the   L'nde- 

cided. 
Salvation  of  the  Lord. 
Regeneration 
Spiritual  Resurrection 
Confession  of  Sin 
Faith 


422 


TITLES   OF   SERMOis'S. 


Rahab's  Faith. 

The  Blood-Shedding. 

Justili  cation  by  Grace. 

Mauasseh. 

Why  Are  Men  Saved. 

Particular  Election. 

Mercy,  Omnipotence,  and  Jus- 
tice. 

Christ :  the  Power  and  Wisdom' 
of  God. 

Going  Home,  A  Christmas  Ser- 
mon. 

A  ]\Iighty  Saviour. 

Israel  in  Egypt. 

Presumptuous  Sins. 

lY. 

The  Parable  of  the  Ark. 

Proving  God. 

IMeditation  on  God. 

Pardon  and  Justification. 

The  Good  Shepherd. 

The  Gracious  Lips  of  Jesus. 

A  Time  of  Finding  for  Lost 
Sheep. 

The  Two  Talents. 

The  Prodigal's  Return, 

God,  the  All  Seeing  One. 

The  Immutability  of  Christ. 

Paul's  Sermon  before  Felix. 

The  Death  of  Christ. 

A  Call  to  the  Unconverted. 

The  Warning  Neglected. 

What  Have  I  Done  ? 

Light  at  Evening  Time. 

Thy  Redeemer. 

The  First  and  Great  Command- 
ment. 

Awake  !     Awake  ! 

The  Loved  Ones  Chastened. 

Fear  Not. 

The  Condescension  of  Christ. 

The  Great  Reservoir. 

How  to  Keep  the  Heart. 

Human  Inability. 

Love  Thy  Neighbor. 


His  Name;  Wonderful. 


His  Name  :  The  Counselor. 
"As  Thy  Days,  so    Shall    Thy 

Strength  be." 
The  'Voice  of  the  Blood  of  Christ. 
The  New  Heart. 
The  Fatherhood  of  God. 
Everybody's  Sermon. 
A  Lecture  for  Little-Faith. 
Confession  and  Absolution. 
Declension  from  First  Love. 
God's   Barriers    Asrainst    Man's 

Sin. 
Comfort  Proclaimed. 
The  Christian's    Heaviness  and 

Rejoicing. 
Evil  and  Its  Remedy. 
Samson  Conquered. 
Looking  unto  Jesus. 
Satan's  Banquet. 
The  Feast  of  the  Lord. 
The  Blood. 
Love. 

The  Great  Revival. 
The  Form  and  Spirit  oi  Religion. 
Providence. 
The  Vanguard  and  Rereward  of 

the  Church. 
The     World     Turned     Upside 

Down. 
Human  Responsibility. 
Faith  in  Perfection. 

VL 

The  Story  of  God's  Mighty  Acts. 

The  Outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

The  Sympathy  of  the  Two 
Worlds. 

The  Conversion  of  Saul  of  Tar- 
sus. 

^Distinguishing  Grace. 

The  Mission  of  the  Son  of  Man. 

An  Earnest  Invitation. 

How  Saints  may  help  the  Devil. 

His  Name  :  the  Mighty  God. 

The  Believer's  Challenge. 

A  Psalm  of  Remembrance. 

The  Necessity  of  the  Spirit's 
Work. 


TITLES  OF   SERMONS. 


423 


Little  Sins. 

A    Vision    of    the    Latter-Day 

Glories. 
Covenant  Blcssin.cjs. 
The  Dew  of  Christ's  Yoiitli. 
The  High  Rock. 
Spiritual  Religion. 
The  Saviour  resting  in  his  love. 
SulTering  without  the  Camp. 
Growth  in  Grace. 
Ilyiwcrisy, 

Christ  precious  to  Believers. 
The  Meek  and  Lowly  One. 
Weak  Hands  and  Feeble  Knees. 
The  Blind  Beggar. 
Christ's   Manifestation  to  Mary 

IMagdalene. 
The  Sight  of  Iniquity. 
Tabernacle  of  the  Most  High. 

VIL 

A  New  Year's  Benediction. 

The  King's  Highway  Opened. 

Piety  Reproved  andVustified. 

The^Treasures  of  Grace. 

Faith  Illustrated. 

A  Home  Question. 

Christ  Triumphant. 

Remember  Death. 

Marks  of  Faith 

The  Precious  from  the  Vile. 

A  Blast  Against  False  Peace. 

The  Resurrection. 

The  Blood  of  the  Covenant. 

A  Revival  Sermon. 

Sin  Immeasurable. 

None  but  Jesus. 

None  but  Jesus,  Part  11. 

The  Chaff  Driven  Away. 

Cleansing  the  Leper. 

The  Wailing  of  Risca. 

Come  and  Welcome. 

The  First  Resurrection. 

VIII. 

Baptismal  Regeneration. 
Children  Brought  to  (Jhrist,  Not 

to  the  Font. 
"  Thus  Saith  the  Lord." 


A  Hearer  in  Disguise. 

Expiation. 

The  Barley-Field  on  Fire. 

Christ  is  Glorious  :  Let  Us  Make 

Him  Known. 
Enduring  to  the  End. 
Nothing  but  Leaves. 
The  Great  Liberator. 
The  Sinner's  Friend. 
Election  no  Discouragement  to 

Seeking  Souls. 
The  Cripple  at  Lystra. 
A  Bundle  of  IMyrrh. 
The  Lamb:  The  Light. 
God's  Strange  Choice. 
What  God  Cannot  Do. 
Labor  in  Vain. 
God  is  with  Us. 

IX. 

Travailing  for  Souls. 

"  Your  Own  Salvation." 

Continuance  with  Jesus  Possible. 

The  Sin  of  Gadding  About. 

The  Broad  Wall. 

The  Star  of  Jacob. 

An  Unalterable  Statute. 

Fathomless. 

Meat  Indeed  and  Drink  Indeed. 

Thoughts  and  their  Fruit. 

The  Covenant. 

A  Sermon  to  Open  Neglecters 
and  Nominal  Followers  of  Re- 
ligion. 

Epln-aim  Bemoaning  Himself. 

Jesus  at  Bethesda;  or,  Waiting 
Changed  to  Believing. 

The  L'usearchable  Riches  of 
Christ. 

The  End  of  the  Righteous  De- 
sired. 

Number  One  Thousand  ;  or, 
Bread  Enough  and  to  Spare. 

Love's  Logic. 

Altogether  Lovely. 

The  "Alarum 

The  Withering  Work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

Marah;  or,  The  Bitter  Waters 
Sweetened. 


424 


TITLES   OF   SERMONS. 


Kegotiations  for  Peace. 
Jesus  Only, 
Rest,  Kest. 
Carried  by  Four, 
Jesus  no  Phantom, 
Very  Singular, 

X. 

The  Matchless  Mystery. 

Marrow  and  Fatness. 

Additions  to  the  Church. 

A  Lesson  from  the  Life  of  King 
Asa. 

Without  Money  and  '\Vithout 
Price, 

Questions  of  the  Day  and  the 
Question  of  the  Day. 

The  Monster  Dragged  to  Light. 

An  Old-fashioned  Conversion, 

Harvest  Men  Wanted, 

The  Father's  Will, 

How  a  Man's  Conduct  Comes 
Home  to  Him. 

The  Priest  Dispensed  With, 

The  Sacred  Love-token. 

The  Lion-slayer,  The  Giant- 
killer. 

The  God  of  Bethel, 

The  Story  of  a  Runaway  Slave, 

"Lovest  Thou  Me?" 

My  God. 

The  Little  Dogs, 

-(Eneas. 

XL 

The  Star  of  Jacob, 
The  Broad  Wall, 
The  Only  Door, 

Royal  Emblems  for  Lojal  Sub- 
jects. 
A  Frail  Leaf, 
The  Helmet. 

One  Trophv  for  Two  Exploits, 
Christ  the  tree  of  Life, 
A  Silly  Dove, 
Our  Banner. 
Our  Cham]iion. 
The  Fainlinii  Hero. 


Woman's  Rights;  a  parable. 
Black  Clouds  and  Bright  Bless- 

h!gs. 
David's  First  Victory. 
David  and  His  Volunteers. 


xn. 

A  Many-sided  Motto. 
A  Distinct  Message. 
A  Divine  Mission, 
A  Double  Challenge, 
A  Timely  Remonstrance. 
A  Special  Invitation. 
A  Merciful  Embassy. 
A  Cheerful  Prospect, 
A  Pitiful  Chastisement. 
A  Serious  Contrast. 
A  Sad  Confession. 
A  Present  Pardon, 
A  Precious  Plentitude. 
A  IMagnetic  Force. 
A  Mournful  Defection. 
A  Solemn  Resolution. 
A  Clear  Understanding. 
Preparation  for  Heaven. 


XIII. 

Spared. 

Startling, 

Lovely,  but  Lacking, 

A  Grave  Charge, 

Woes  to  Come. 

The  Sinner's  Only  Alternative. 

A  Jeremiad. 

Ho!  Ho! 

A  Caution  for  Sin-sick  Souls, 

Contrition, 

The  Battle  of  Life. 

Attention ! 

Perilous  Procrastination. 

A  Soul-stirring  Meditation, 

The  Wandering  Bird, 

The  Strait  Gate, 

Cries  of  Distress. 

A  Firebrand, 

To  the  Rescue. 

The  Lions'  Den. 


TITLES   OF   SERMONS. 


425 


XIV. 

Hands  full  of  Honey. 

On  Laying  Foundations. 

Plei-ein  is  Love. 

The  best  War-cry. 

Earnest  Expostulation. 

The  Bridegroom's  Parting  AVord. 

Tlie  Tent  Dissolved  and  the 
jMansion  Entered. 

Christ  in  You. 

Glory. 

Knock. 

Lnitators  of  God. 

Buying  without  Money. 

The  Voice  from  the  Cloud,  and 
the  Voice  of  the  Beloved. 

Accepted  of  the  Great  Father. 

On  Humliling  Ourselves  Before 
God. 

The  Luther  Sermon  at  Exeter 
Hall. 

Blessed  Promises  for  Dying  Out- 
casts. 

XV. 

"Peturn,  Return,  O  Shulamite, 
Return,  Return! " 

Tlie  Rocky  Fortress  and  Its  In- 
habitant. 

What  is  Your  Life? 

Esther's  Exaltation ;  or,  Who 
Knoweth  ? 

Humility  the  Friend  of  Prayer. 

Joseph  of  Arimatlue. 

The  (rlory  in  the  Rear. 

Pleading  and  Encouragement. 

"Though  he  were  Dead." 

Heaven  Below. 

The  Parable  of  the  Lost  Sheep. 

Thought-Reading       Extraordi- 
nary. 

Obadiah  ;  or,  Early  Piety  Emi- 
nent Piety. 

Faith  among  Mockers. 

Jehovah-Jireh. 

The  Threshing-Floor  of  Oman. 

A  Call  to  the  Lord's  Own  Flock, 


XVI. 

First  Healing  and  Then  Service. 

A  Sweet  Silver  Bell  Ringing  in 
Each  Believer's  Heart. 

Fallen  Angels  a  Lesson  to  Fallen 
I\ren. 

Cords  and  Cart-Ropes. 

Certain  Curious  Calculations 
about  Loaves  and  Fishes. 

Peter's  Blunder:  a  Lesson  to 
Ourselves. 

The  Singular  Origin  of  a  Chris- 
tian ]\Ian. 

To  Lovers  of  Jesus:  an  Exam- 
ple. 

A  Great  Gospel  for  Great  Sin- 
ners. 

What  is  the  Verdict  ? 

The  History  of  Little-Faith. 

The  Necessity  of  Growing  Faith. 

God  our  Continual  Resort. 

"Behold,  He  Prayeth." 

Departed  Saints  Yet  Living. 

The  Nobleman's  Faith. 

Jubilate. 

XVIL 

Pleading  for  Prayer. 

Retrospect:  "The  Lord  Hath 
Blessed." 

The  Sermon  of  the  Seasons. 

Why  They  Leave  Us. 

The  Three  Hours  of  Darkness. 

Mysterious  ]\Ieat. 

Rejoice  Evermore. 

Zealous,  but  Wrong. 

Who  Found  it  Out  ? 

The  Personal  Pentecost  and  the 
Glorious  Hope. 

A  Seasonable  Salutation. 

Secret  Drawings  Graciously  Ex- 
plained. 

In  Christ  no  Condemnation. 

Concerning  Death. 

Love's  Comj^laining. 

Our  Sym]ialhi/.iiig  High  Priest. 

Our  Ascended  Lord. 


426 


TITLES   OF   SERMOXS. 


XVIII. 

The  Best  Bread. 

Shaven  and  Shorn,  but  not  Be- 
yond Hope. 

The  Breaker  and  the  Flock. 

Jesus  Declining  the  Legions. 

On  the  Cross  after  Death. 

The  First  Appearance  of  the 
Risen  Lord  to  the  Eleven. 

God's  Thoughts  of  Peace,  and 
our  Expected  End. 

The  Death  of  Moses. 

Lovins:  Persuasion. 

The  Blood  Shed  for  Many. 

A  Bit  of  History  for  Old  and 
Young. 

God's  Nearness  to  Us. 

Truth. 

Folly  of  Unbelief. 

The  Suffering  Saviour's  Sym- 
pathy. 

The  Child  of  Light  Walking  in 
Darkness. 

IVIan,  Whose  Breath  is  in  his 
Nostrils. 


XIX. 

The  Lord  and  the  Leper. 

Holding  Fast  the  Faith. 

Abram's  Call ;  or.  Half-way  and 
All  the  Way. 

Nathanael  :    or,    the  Ready  Be- 
liever and  His  Reward. 

Cured  at  Last. 

"  She  Was  not  Hid." 

"David's  Spoil." 

"  The  Wedding  Was  Furnished 
with  Guests." 

What     Is    the    Wedding     Gar- 
ment ? 

Let  Him  Deliver  Him  Xow." 

The  Charge  of  the  Angel. 

Plain  Directions  to  Those 
Who  Would  Be  Saved  from 
Sin. 

Peter's  Restoration. 

The    Blood   of    the   Lamb,   the 
Conquering  Weapon. 

All  at  It. 

No  Compromise. 

A  Paradox. 


V 


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\\ 


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